The DoomsDay Clock
by EMPFangirl02
Summary: Harry Potter/Ninjago crossover. An AU where the Ninjas Attend Master Wu's school of Ninjanuity and Wizardry. Follow Kai, Cole, Zane, Jay, and eventually Nya and Lloyd as they unlock their true potential, and have to face many challenges while trying to prevent the Overlord's return.
1. Chapter 1

Part 1: Doomsday Clock

 **AN: This is a Ninjago/Harry Potter Crossover, inspired by PrincessFoxSpaceNinja's story Ninjago Wizards. I wanted to do my own take on this crossever, as I love the idea! This is my first fanfiction ever. I don't own Ninjago or Harry Potter-this is purely fan based. Enjoy and please review and tell me what you think! Thanks!**

Chapter 1: The Letter

 _Tap tap tap._

I woke up and looked out the window. An owl was pecking at the glass! "Gahhh!" I cried, falling out of bed with a start. Owls were not a common sight in Ninjago. This was the first time I had ever seen one in real life.

"Kai? Are you okay?" Karin, my foster mom, asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I replied. Now that I thought about it, this was a once in a lifetime opportunity. I approached the window cautiously. It was a beautiful bird, with snowy white feathers and golden eyes. The owl tapped its beak on the glass. I laughed nervously. "Nice, owl thingy." Then I noticed something. An envelope was tied to the bird's leg. A messenger owl? I had never heard of such a thing.

I opened my window and it flew right in. It perched on my nightstand and extended its leg for me. I untied the envelope and turned on my lamp so I could see. I gasped. In beautiful green ink was written the following words:

 _Mr._

 _The attic room_

 _1328 Lancy Street_

 _Ninjago City_

I couldn't believe it! It was my exact address, down to the room I slept in. This letter was meant for me! My fingers trembled as I ripped open the seal and yanked out the letter inside.

"Dear Mr. Umas, we are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to Master Wu's school of witchcraft and wizardry," I read out loud. I could hardly believe it. Me? A wizard? There was only one person I could talk to about this. I quickly got dressed and ran over to my sister's room.

"Nya! Nya! You'll never believe it!"

My sister stared back groggily at me. "Kai, isn't it a bit early? Let a girl get her beauty rest."

I shook my head. "Trust me. It's worth it." I showed her the letter I received. She looked it over once, twice, three times.

"Wow, this is…"

"I know."

She looked up at me. "So, what are you going to do?"

I shrugged. "I think I'll go to this Mountain of a Million Steps and find out what this whole thing is all about."

"Do you think it's safe?" Nya asked. Even though she was my younger sister, she always had my back. Ever since our parents died, we looked out for each other, no matter what.

"I don't know," I replied truthfully. "But I have to find out. I can't just ignore this."

Nya sighed. "Alright, if you're sure." She looked back down at the letter. "I wonder who this Master Wu person is, and how did he know where we live?"

I followed her gaze to the graceful signature at the bottom of the page. There was so much we didn't know. So much that he wasn't telling us. But my mind was made up. I was going. "There's only one way to find out," I told my sister. She nodded.

"Kids! Breakfast!" Karin called.

"Coming!" Nya replied. She gave me a look. "Just so you know, I'm coming with you."

A protest rose up in my throat, "Nya…"

She folded her arms. "If you're going, I'm going. Now get out of my room. I'm getting dressed." I sighed and walked out of the room. My sister was just as stubborn as I was.

—

Nya and I finished breakfast as quickly as possible. The letter said to come to the school April 1st, but I thought it would be a good idea to scout the area before hand. I wasn't totally reckless. "We're heading out," I told Karin.

Nya was already sliding out the door when our foster mom replied, "Alright, be back by dark."

I caught the front door before it closed. "Okay, bye." I followed my sister and let the door swing shut on it's own. Karin believed in letting kids experience the world for themselves. She pretty much let us do whatever we want. Her husband was stricter, but he was at work most of the time.

I looked at Nya. "You ready?"

"You bet. I got water bottles, protein bars, lunch, and money for bus fare out of the city."

I nodded. "Then let's go."

We hitched a ride to the eastern edge the city. I consulted the map that came in envelope to make sure we were heading the right way. It turns out that there were three documents in there: a letter, a map, and a list of supplies for school. Master Wu thought of everything. Once we got off the bus, we ate some of the protein bars and started heading toward the lone mountain in the distance.

It was a long trek across the flat plains where rice farmers were tilling the soil. The once we got away from the city, the road became a little more than dirt path through rural Ninjago. After an hour of travelling, we could see our destination looming in distance. The two of us had a long way to go, but I hoped to make it there by lunch.

Gradually, the grey smudge on the horizon became more defined. The Mountain of a Million Steps was accurately named. It was huge. After a few more hours, we could start to make out a set of ancient stone stairs that wound their way the mountainside. Nya was starting to get tired, so we stopped in the shadow of the mountain and ate lunch, which was leftovers from last night's dinner.

It was delicious. I had to say, Karin was a great cook. When we were finished, we looked toward the massive mountain. "Well, I can't see anything up there," Nya commented.

"Yeah…" I said absently. I watched a falcon swoop around near the peak. Then, it shimmered and disappeared. "Whoa! Did you see that?"

"See what?" Nya asked.

"That falcon."

"I didn't see anything." She paused for a moment. "We should probably head back."

I scanned the sky, looking for the falcon again. "You can start heading back. I'll catch up in a moment." Nya stared at me for a moment, before finally relenting.

"Alright, but you better hurry up. We should get back before Carl gets home." Carl was Karin's husband.

"Okay," I replied. After hesitating for a few more seconds, Nya finally turned and left. I looked up at the empty sky. There truly was nothing on the mountain. I was starting to wonder if I imagined the whole thing. A shriek pierced the air. I gasped. It was the falcon! It appeared out of thin air and circled down toward me, until it finally landed in a near by tree. So it was real. Maybe the school was being hidden for some reason? Either way, I was coming back in April.

I hurried back to catch up with Nya. She wouldn't believe this, not unless she saw it with her own eyes. Oh, well. I guess I was on my own. I spent the next month gathering the required materials for school. Nya watched me skeptically, but never said anything. Finally, it was April 1st. I grabbed my letter and made my way downstairs.

"I'm heading out," I told Nya and Karin.

"Alright, sweetie, come back safe."

"I will," I replied. I turned to Nya. "Do you want to come with me?"

She shrugged. "Nah. There's nothing out there, but if you want to go, be my guest."

I nodded. "Goodbye." The trip felt a lot longer without my younger sister beside me. The Mountain of a Million Steps felt colder and more ominous than last time. As I got closer, I noticed an entire crowd of kids, some my age, but a lot of them older. It gave me hope. This school had to be real, otherwise, what were they all doing here?

I didn't recognize anyone, so I just stood on the edge of the crowd. "Hey," someone called. I figured they were talking to one of their friends, so I just ignored them. "Hey, you in red."

I looked up. A young boy with black hair was looking straight at me. "What?"

"Did you get a letter too?"

"Yeah, why?"

The boy smiled. "I thought I was going crazy. My dad thought this whole thing was a waste of time. He wanted me to go to a musical school instead. That would have been a nightmare."

I nodded slowly. "I see."

"My name is Cole by the way. Cole Hence. What's yours?"

"Kai." Now that I heard Cole's name, he sounded familiar, like I had met him somewhere. "Did you go to the boarding school in East Ninjago City?"

Cole shrugged. "For a little bit."

The pieces were starting to fall together in my mind. "My foster mom sent my sister and me there for a while. Did you have Miss Gingrich?"

Cole laughed. "Yeah, that woman was crazy."

I laughed too. It was good to have someone I recognized here. We talked about school for a little while, and then we moved on to the subject of wizardry. We speculated on what was waiting for us at the top of the mountain. We didn't have to wait long to find out. An ancient woman with a conical straw hat descended down the stairs.

"Follow me students," she said, and then she turned and began to climb the mountain. One, by one, we began to make the assent after her.

"Aw, man." A kid next to me complained. "Do we have to climb all those stairs? I'm not gonna make it!"

"It is part of a wizard's early training. Climbing the Mountain of a Million Steps develops tenacity and endurance," another boy with a monotone voice replied.

"Well, I wish we could just magic our way up to the top! My legs are killing me!" The first kid replied.

Right now, I agreed with him. The stairs seemed to go on forever. "It'll be worth it when we get to the top," I said.

Cole nodded. The whining kid didn't seem convinced. "I sure hope so."

After what seemed like hours, the kids in front of us started disappearing. "What was that?" Cole asked.

"I don't know, but I'm not going in there!" The whining kid said.

"The cloak of invisibility. It is said that Master Wu created this curtain to keep outsiders from finding his school. We must go in if we wish to reach it."

I looked at the monotone kid with pale, almost white hair in surprise. "How do you know all this?"

"I read it in one of my father's books."

"Well, nothing to do but keep going," Cole said. He took a few steps forward, took a deep breath and disappeared. My heart clenched at facing the unknown, but I had made up my mind. I was going to attend this school, and I wasn't about to go back down all those stairs. I squeezed my eyes shut, and walked through the curtain.

I opened my eyes again, and had to blink several times to believe what I was seeing. A massive monastery was sitting on the mountain peak. Students were streaming through massive wooden doors that lead to a wide, open courtyard. A teapot with a golden dragon on it was painted above the wooden doors. The design was simple, but elegant. I wished Nya were here to see it with me.

The other two kids from before joined me. "Whoa! This is so cool!" The whining kid exclaimed.

"Yes, a wonderful example of architecture and engineering," said the monotone kid.

"Hurry up slowpokes, or you'll get left behind!" Cole called.

I ran to catch up with him with other two right behind me. Once I reached Cole, I slowed down to take in all the sights of the school. It was more like a temple than anything else. We followed the other students through massive hallways filled with stone statues, past beautiful gardens and delicate shōji doors, until we reached a long room with high vaulted ceilings, and four long tables where the older students were sitting.

At each table, the students wearing a different color kimono: red, white, electric blue, a more slivery blue, and black. Sown into all the kimonos was a teapot with a dragon on it, just like on the front doors.

Since this was my first year here, I had no idea what to do. I looked around at the other five tables, trying to decide where to sit. The ancient lady from before came over to the cluster of new kids. "Before you sit down, you must be sorted into your houses. The sorting hat will place you based off of your magical elemental power. There are five houses: the House of Water, the House of Ice, the House of Earth, the House of Lightning, and the House of Fire." As she listed the houses, she pointed to which table they would be sitting at. The old woman continued. "Wait until your name is called, and then step forward and place the hat on your head."

I wondered how a hat could decide what power you had. I looked up to the front of the room, where an old, pointy hat was sitting on a stool. That couldn't be the sorting hat, could it? "Now, let us begin, Brad Burns."

A small boy with jet-black hair stepped forward. He placed the hat on his head, but the kid's head was so small that it slipped down to cover his entire face. Some other boy snickered.

"Earth!" I nearly jumped. The hat spoke. The students from the earth table cheered and welcomed their newest member.

"Sally Barnett." A girl with glasses came forward. Again, the hat was placed on her head and everyone waited patiently. A minute or two passed before the hat spoke again. "Water!"

She scuttled over to her waiting classmates, who all welcomed her. More and more students were called and sorted. The group of waiting children grew smaller and smaller. The names were being called in alphabetical order. I sighed. Having a last name starting with U meant that I was going to be pretty much last.

"Chen Harrison." A tall boy with a smug look on his face stepped forward. As soon as the hat touched his head, it shouted. "Fire!" The boy didn't even look surprised. He sauntered over to the fire table and didn't acknowledge the other students congratulating him. Ugg! Kids like him grated on my nerves.

Soon, it was Cole's turn. "Good luck," I whispered to him. He nodded and walked up to the hat. He slipped it on, and within moments the hat had sorted him into earth. I secretly hoped that I would get sorted into earth too. Then at least I would know someone in my house.

"Zane Julian." The monotone kid from before stepped forward. I was curious to see where he would be placed. He sat down and put the hat on his head. A minute passed. Then two. Zane frowned, and then finally the hat called out, "Ice!"

Zane got up calmly as if nothing had happed and sat with his house. I wondered why it had taken so long for him to get sorted. More students came and went. Soon, there were only a handful of us left. The old lady had reached the T's. I shifted my weight. My turn was coming up soon. I took a deep breath and waited. My heart pounded in my chest. The anticipation was killing me.

"Kai Umas." This was it. I was going to be sorted. I walked up to the hat, and prepared to put it on.


	2. Chapter 2-The Stone Warriors

Chapter 2: The Stone Warriors

I put the musty old hat on my head. " _Kai Umas_ ," said the hat. I jerked in my seat. It was talking to me. " _Rash, hotheaded, determined, and courageous,_ " The hat continued. Protests built in my mind. I wasn't rash or hotheaded! But I realized that deep down it was right. My reaction proved that. It was kind of scary that an imamate object could read me so well. " _I'll put you in…"_ the hat paused. "Fire!"

Cheers and applause greeted me. I took off the hat and joined the rest of my house. I walked past the boy with the smug face—Chen, I remembered. Great. He was in my house. I sat down at the end of a table by myself. Meanwhile, the sorting ceremony was still going on.

"Jay Walker." It was the whining kid from the mountain. He was sorted into lightning. After that, an old man with long, dirty, white beard stood up. "Greetings, students. For those of you who are new here, my name is Master Wu. Before we eat our feast, I have a couple of announcements. Classes will begin tomorrow. Do not be late. Also, do not feed the new koi fish in the pond. Unlike muggle koi, these fish have sharp teeth and will not hesitate to bite your hand off. First years, at the end of the feast follow the Head Boy to your common room. Thank you."

I watched carefully as the old man sat down. This was Master Wu. He didn't look all that special. I was distracted by the smell of roasted fish. I turned to find food on plate. Wow. This place was full of surprises. I took a bite. It was delicious. It almost put Karin's cooking to shame. Almost.

After the feast, I followed the other fire students back to our common room. Once inside, I followed a sign to the boy's dormitory. My things had already been sent to my room. I sat down on my bed and wished Nya were here. There were so many things I wanted to tell her. I sighed. I was going to have to do without her.

The next morning, I made my way down the stairs. A tall boy with a badge, the head boy, I guessed, started speaking. "First years, don't forget to grab a map and your schedule, as well as your house kimono. Make sure that you grab the schedule with your name on it."

So I followed all the other students and searched through a mountain of papers until I found my name. I scanned through the list. I had Elemental Magic first period in room 102. After breakfast, I walked down the long hallways searching for the classroom. 200's, 300's, oops, I made a wrong turn. Uh, 200's, 190, 180… If it wasn't for the map, I would have been completely lost. The room was almost completely filled by the time I got there. I ducked in through the doorway and slid into an open seat.

Fortunately, I wasn't the last kid in the class. A kid with reddish brown hair and an orange scarf made his way into class. It was Jay.

"Man, I nearly got lost down all those hallways," he said. I couldn't believe he was in my class. I thought that we would be with the people from our houses.

"Why didn't you use your map?" Someone asked.

Jay flushed and looked at the ground. "I couldn't figure out where I was."

"What's wrong with you, can't you read?" It was Chen. A boy began to laugh. Followed by another, and another, until almost the whole class was laughing. Jay just stood there, frozen in place.

"Knock it off," I said. I couldn't stand it one when kids picked on one another. Maybe it was because I was an older brother, but I felt the need to protect this kid. Chen turned to look at me. Hatred reflected in eyes. I didn't back down.

"Indeed," said a voice. The whole class turned toward the back of the class. The old man from the feast—Master Wu, I remembered—was standing in the back of the class. I didn't even notice him coming in. "The journey to find oneself is the most important journey in this life. It is not a laughing matter."

"Yes, master," the class muttered.

Master Wu made his way to the front of the class. Jay took this opportunity to sneak into a seat. He chose one next to me. "Thanks," he whispered.

I was surprised. I didn't expect gratitude. It was just something that came naturally to me. "You're welcome," I whispered back.

"Now," Master Wu said. "This is general class designed to help you find your inner piece and find your true potential. Let us begin."

We spent the rest of class drinking tea and calming our minds. It was very relaxing, but I had no idea what it had to do with magic. I grabbed my bag full of books and made my way toward the door at the end of class.

"Hey, what class do you have next?" Jay asked.

I blinked slowly. It took me a second to realize he was talking to me. "Oh, Magical History."

Jay grinned. "Me too. Can you help me get there? I would hate to get lost again."

"Uh…sure?"

"Great!"

While I tried to figure out how to get room 560B, Jay told me his whole life story. Apparently, he grew up in a junkyard with his parents. His father was an electricity wizard too, but his mom was a regular person, or a muggle. Then he started talking about his hobbies. I sighed. Did this kid ever stop?

I was relieved when we finally made it to class. Mr. Hutchins was a former imperial guard and did not tolerate talking or disrespect of any kind. As I suspected, magical history was boring, but I didn't dare fall asleep. Next was transfiguration. Fortunately, Jay had a different class, so I didn't have to listen to his rambling.

A guy named Nuero was the teacher. He looked like a mad scientist with snow-white hair and a streak of black in the middle and bags under his eyes. I wondered what to expect in this class. Nuero took out his wand and tapped a paper clip on his desk. " _Telum convertens!_ " The paper clip morphed into a shuriken.

Wow! Now that was magic. I reached for my own wand to try out the spell. "Before you can preform this spell, you must learn the theory behind it," Nuero said. Are you kidding me? More studying? I slowly put my wand away. It looked it was going to be another slow class. I sluggishly flipped through pages describing the importance of saying the incantation correctly and the wand movements that went with it.

Nuero noticed my lack of enthusiasm. "Do you think you can perform this spell, Mr. Umas?"

I glanced up. His eyes were boring into me, daring me to say yes. Somehow, I got the feeling that wasn't the right answer. "Uh, no, sir."

He raised his eyebrows. "Are you sure? You seemed awfully eager to preform the spell before. Do you still want to?"

Why did this feel like a trap? Someone sniggered. I ignored them. "Can I be honest, sir?"

"Of course."

"Yes. I would like to do some actual magic."

"Actual magic? Then why don't you show the class your skills?"

"Well..."

"That wasn't a request, Mr. Umas."

I was stuck. I slowly got out of my seat and inched my way up to the front of the class. I hoped the bell would ring before I could do the spell. "We're waiting, Mr. Umas."

I took a deep breath. There was no turning back now. I cleared my breath, and tried to remember how Nuero had done it. "Uh, _Telum convertins!_ " I snapped my wand over the paper clip. The metal began to twist, but stopped before it looked like anything. I was ashamed. It looked like a child had tried to twist the paper clip with his hands, but given up. Bits of the paper clip were sticking out every which way. I had failed. Miserably.

"Perhaps you should study more before preforming actual magic, Mr. Umas."

I slunk back to my seat, not meeting any of my classmate's faces. I heard someone laughing. I didn't have to look to know who it was. That arrogant snort could only belong to Chen.

I hurried out of class before anyone else. Hopefully, potions would go better. I was starting to get a better feel for the corridors and made it to class with the room still half empty. I chose a seat near the back to avoid any more embarrassing situations. The class looked pretty ordinary, with a clay teapot and cup sitting on a desk in front of the class.

The lady who had led us up the mountain came in the room. "Welcome to potions. My name is Mistaké, blah, blah, blah. Now, let's get down to business. How many of you have read through 1001 Magical Herbs and Fungi?"

A single hand went into the air. It belonged to Zane. Why wasn't I surprised? He looked amazed that he was the only one who had read the textbook.

Mistaké's eyes narrowed. "You all have homework tonight. Go on, write that down."

I rushed to obey her instructions. This woman meant business. She spent the rest of the day drilling us on plants and their uses. I left the class with Mugwort, Caraway, Verbena, death, love, effects and side effects swirling around in my brain. I was not looking forward to the reading tonight. I wondered if I could ask Zane to help. That kid seemed to know everything.

Next was Defense Against the Dark Arts. Unlike the other classes, Professor Ronin had us practicing spells right off the bat. The object was to freeze the straw dummy with a stunning spell. This was what I was waiting for! But then, the first kid, Sally had her spell blow up in her face. I watched student after student fail. Suddenly, I wasn't so ready to practice magic. Maybe Professor Nuero was right. Then Chen got up to the front of the class. He stunned his 'opponent' on the first try. Anger swelled in my chest. I wasn't going to let this bully best me.

When it was my turn, I waved my wand and said, " _Petrificus Totalus!_ " I knocked the dummy backward, but it wasn't completely frozen like Chen's. I ignored his smug smile and promised myself that I would beat him next time. I didn't pay attention as Zane cast the spell perfectly, or as Jay half froze the dummy, or even when Cole pretty much rocked it. All I could think about was Chen.

"Your homework is to keep practicing. Tomorrow, your casting will be graded."

Great. The bell rang, signaling the end of class. I spotted Zane making his way toward the exit and I hurried after him. Since he wasn't in my house, this could be my only opportunity to ask him for help.

"Zane!" I called after him, trying to catch him before turned around the corner.

He turned to look at me. "What is it?" He asked. Even his question sounded flat.

"I was wondering if you could help me with Defense Against the Dark Arts and Potions."

"Can you help me too?" Jay asked. I jumped. He had just appeared at my shoulder. Cole was right behind him.

"Hey," he said.

Zane looked curiously between the three of us. "Of course."

Cole's stomach rumbled. "Let's head down to lunch."

"Good idea," I said. The three of us made our way down to the cafeteria. Zane started giving me pointers on my spell casting. It was hard to concentrate with Jay's constant talking, but I managed to learn something.

"You can practice on that statue," Zane said.

We had wandered aimless into a hallway I had never seen before. It was lined with stone statues of ancient samurai. The floor was made entirely out of tatami mats, and was lit solely by paper lanterns. The statue that Zane was referring to was the biggest one at the far end of the hallway.

I hesitated. "Are you sure?"

Cole broke in before Zane could answer. "It'll be fine. Go for it. Then let's go back and get some food. I'm starving."

"What if something bad happens? This is a magical school right? What if the statues come to life?" Jay asked.

"The statues won't come to life. That's ridiculous," Cole responded.

Jay didn't look so convinced. "Actually, high level transfiguration can make statues come to life, Cole."

Zane broke in. "That is highly unlikely. The probability of a statue coming to life is—"

"Guys, you're not helping," I interrupted.

"I'll prove it's fine," Cole said. "Watch." He pulled out his wand and pointed it at the statue. " _Petrificus Totalus!_ "

The statue crashed backward. Cole smiled confidently, "See..."

 _SCREECH!_

Jay looked around nervously. "What was that?"

Cole shrugged it off. "It was probably nothing."

 _SCREECH!_

"You call that nothing?" Jay yelled at Cole.

I stared at the statue. I could have sworn its head was not looking our way moments ago. "Uh, guys? Is that thing moving?"

Everyone stopped what they were doing and watched the stone warrior. It pulled itself off the ground. One by one, all the statues turned to look at us.

Zane answered my question, even though it was obvious. "Correct."

I automatically started backing up. A big mistake. The nearest statue grabbed my arm as soon as I started moving. It moved so fast that I didn't even have time to blink. Jay screamed. I tried to pull my arm free, but I couldn't move.

Cole whipped out his wand, but another statue snatched him too. Jay bolted, but a hoard of stone warriors blocked his path. He turned and ran the other way back toward us.

"Help me!" Jay yelled. The statues were gaining fast. It wouldn't be long before they caught him too.

The only one who hadn't been captured was Zane, who still hadn't moved since the statues came to life. Slowly, he reached for his wand. I watched him, urging him to move faster. The stone warrior's grip was getting tighter. I couldn't feel my hand anymore. Cole had stopped struggling. His statue had given him a bear hug, squeezing the air from his lungs. I wasn't sure how much longer he could last.

Meanwhile, Jay had tripped and fallen on the floor. He had shifted the tatami mats around him, revealing a little bit of the room below. Jay crawled for dear life away from the statue that was chasing him. It was at his feet now. "No! Stop! I'm too cute to get squashed!" He cried.

Zane had finally pulled his wand out. The statues still ignored him. He took a shallow breath, then pointed at the statue attacking Jay, " _Spongify!_ "

At first I thought that nothing happened.

"Come on, Zane!" Jay shouted. In his frustration, he kicked the statue and his foot sunk into the statue. The warrior stumbled and fell through the floor. Zane turned and repeated the spell on the other two statues. I felt the stone's grip soften. Now, I could break free. I kicked Cole's statue to make it let go of him.

Cole slumped to the floor. The statues were still coming. I dragged Cole toward the end of the hallway. I had to drag him around the giant hole in the floor. As I passed it, I noticed a giant clock in the room below. It was made of solid gold with gears and orbs sticking out of it. The hands on the clock were ticking down toward a skull. I wondered what that meant.

Something rushed past me. I looked up, preparing to fight a statue. Fortunately, it was only Jay. "Come on, guys!" He yelled.

I tightened my grip on Cole and kept running. Zane saw me struggling and picked up Cole's feet. Together, we ran down the corridor, and then turned down another, and another, until we all finally ran out of breath. Well, all of us except Zane.

I propped Cole up against a wall and slumped down next to him. Jay just collapsed on the floor. "Where did you learn that spell?" I asked Zane.

He shrugged. "It was in the Standard Book of Spells." Figures.

"Well, thank you. You saved our lives."

Zane nodded. "You're welcome."

I needed to catch my breath. I closed my eyes, but all I could think about was the golden clock.

What was it? What was it counting down to?

 **AN:** I will be posting a new chapter every Friday. Stayed tuned and enjoy. Please review!


	3. Chapter 3-Secrets and Showdowns

**Chapter 3 Secrets and Showdowns**

Once we recovered, we rushed Cole to the Infirmary, but he regained consciousness before we even got there. It saved us a lot of awkward explaining. The four of us snuck into lunch and split off into our house groups.

The rest of the day was pretty ordinary. I had Charms with Master Yang, and then Magic and Technology with Cyrus Borg. That class was pretty interesting. It was all about how wizards could use enchantments to make cool gadgets. As Professor Borg put it, "It's the magic of the future."

Over the next few days, I had so much homework; I didn't have much time to meet with the others. I wanted to ask about the golden clock. It had been haunting my dreams and plaguing my thoughts. I had to talk someone about it or it was going to drive me crazy.

I thought about Nya and all the times she had given me advice. I had visited the Owlery to send her a letter to let her know I was alright, but other than that I hadn't spoken her since I arrived. Since my sister wasn't a student, she couldn't come to the school. I sighed. I was lost without Nya.

At the end of Defense Against the Dark Arts, or DADA as most students called it, I tried to catch Cole, Jay and Zane.

"Guys, we've got to talk," I said.

"Shoot," Cole replied.

"Remember when we were attacked by the statues?"

"How could I not? They nearly killed us!" Jay asserted.

"Almost killed me, you mean," Cole corrected.

Zane quietly observed the two of them arguing. I sighed. This was going nowhere. I interrupted them.

"Anyways, did you see a giant golden clock through the crack in the floor?"

"Uh, no. I was little busy worrying about NOT DYING!" Jay retorted.

I looked at Cole, who shook his head. "I was out cold."

Last was Zane. He thought for a moment. "I recall seeing a golden structure through the floor, why?"

I took a deep breath. "Did you know what it is?"

Zane shook his head. "Negative."

I sighed. Cole frowned. "What do you think it was?"

"A harmless antique?" Jay suggested.

I wasn't so sure. "It was ticking down to a skull, and there were weird symbols surrounding it. I think it's something magical."

"I will look it up in the library," Zane said.

I smiled. "That would be great."

We made our way to the lunchroom together. Jay did most of the talking, but it was nice to hang out with the others again. We laughed and talked about schools and teachers. I was disappointed when we had split off into our houses.

I found a seat by myself and slowly picked at my food. I noticed someone laughing at me. I frowned, but buried myself in my food. I was used to the laughter by now. Being isolated made myself an easy target.

"What a loser," someone muttered, just loud enough for me to hear. I tightened my grip on my fork. I refused to respond. Like Nya always said, reacting would only and fuel to the flames.

"Doesn't he have any friends?" Someone else asked.

"Nah, he's too lame to have any friends. Isn't that right, Kai?" This time I recognized the voice. It belonged to Chen. Anger rushed through my veins. My face felt hot. It was harder to keep in my seat.

Chen laughed. I couldn't stand that sound. It grated my ears and penetrated into every fiber of my being. My right hand gravitated toward my wand. It would be so satisfying to use it on him. I looked right at him, and noticed that the teachers were sitting at the front of the room. If I fought Chen here, I was bound to get in trouble.

I forced myself to let go of my wand.

"What's the matter?" Chen taunted.

I clenched my fist. I couldn't keep taking these insults forever. I stood up.

"You're the matter! You don't know when to quit," I replied.

"Is that right?" Chen stood up and swaggered dangerously close to my face. "What are you gonna do about it?" A lot of people were staring at us now, and not just students from our house. I noticed some people from Water and Ice looking our way too.

I refused to flinch. Part of me wanted to grab Chen by the collar of his kimono and crash him into the table, but then I remembered the teachers. I stayed silent. There was nothing I really could do. So I just stared him down.

Chen snorted. "That's what I thought." And with that, he walked away. I found myself all alone again. I slammed my fist down on the table next to my plate, letting all my feelings crash down with it. My plate rattled. My fist stung. My anger simmered.

I didn't feel any better than before.

* * *

I couldn't stop thinking about Chen for the next few days. What made it worse was he picked on me every time I went to get lunch. And there was nothing I could do about it. Not unless I wanted to get expelled. I spent all of Charms class sulking. I was the last one to leave when the bell rang.

I slunk down in my chair for Magic and Technology. I didn't pay much attention to Professor Borg. Not that he noticed. Cyrus Borg constantly sat in a wheel chair, and since I sat in the back of the class, I doubt he could see me. I slouched back in my chair and thought about my confrontation with Chen.

Dimly, I heard Professor Borg saying, "Hand in your essays, please."

I mindlessly reached into my bag and pulled out my essay. I passed to the person in front of me. I propped my head on my hand and waited for the bell to ring. Soon, I would have to go back to the common room, where I would probably have to face Chen again.

I stood up and left the room. There weren't any teachers in the common room. Maybe I could finally vent my anger on that irritating—

"Hello, Kai," someone said.

I jumped. "Who— Oh, Zane. You startled me." That kid just came out of nowhere. Jeez.

Zane continued as if nothing had happened. "I did some research over the past few days."

It took me a moment to figure out what he was talking about. Then I remembered. That weird clock. "Oh, yeah?"

Zane frowned. "You seem distracted. Is something the matter?"

I wondered if I should tell him about Chen. Zane seemed sincere, and I hoped that talking would get this terrible weight off my chest. So I spilled everything. I took a deep breath and waited for Zane to respond.

"If lunch is a problem, then eat in the library," Zane suggested.

That was a pretty good solution. Then I could avoid Chen all together. "Thanks. Now, you said you did some research?"

"Correct."

I prompted him to keep going. "And?"

"I found nothing."

My hopes died. "Seriously?"

Zane nodded. "Yes, but I couldn't check the restricted section."

I frowned. "Don't you need a signature from a teacher?"

Zane nodded again. I sighed. "That could be problematic."

He gave me a blank stare. "Why?"

I tried to think of a reason. "Because, I don't want any of the teachers to know about this. Not yet."

"Then what should we do?"

I thought about it. "We'll have to break in."

Zane gasped. "That's against the rules."

I sighed. "It's the only way. I have to know what that clock is. Are you coming with me?"

Zane looked at me and saw that I was serious about this. He considered my request, then said, "Yes."

I smiled. That's all I needed to hear. "Meet at the library at midnight."

Zane nodded. After that we parted ways to go to our common rooms. Thoughts swirled across my brain, and I couldn't concentrate on my homework. I wished that midnight would just come already. This waiting was agony. The minutes dragged by and I found myself watching the clock, waiting and waiting.

Energy built up in my veins. I was desperate to just go. I climbed up to bed when everyone else was. I tried to act normal, brushing my teeth, lying in bed, but I couldn't fall asleep. Hours passed by.

10:00pm.

11:00pm.

Eleven o'clock seemed to last forever. The lack of sleep was finally getting to me, but every time my eyelids drooped, I remembered that I was finally going to find out what that golden clock was.

I tossed and turned in bed, torn between sleep and suspense. I couldn't stop twitching. I was restless.

11:20pm. Why is it when you want time to go faster, it crawls slower instead? I dreamed of a spell that could speed up the clock.

11:30pm. I was tempted to just get out of bed and head down to the library early. Anything was better than just lying here.

11:35pm. I threw off the covers and changed into my black work out clothes. I was getting out of here.

11:40pm. I slipped on my shoes, grabbed a flashlight, and glanced at the clock one last time. Close enough. It would only take five minutes to get to the library, but I refused to wait any longer. I slipped out the door and made my way toward the library.

I leaned against the library door. Locked. I nearly screamed out loud. Now, I was going to have to wait until Zane got here. Great. Just great. I slumped down on the floor, counting the seconds 'til midnight.

 **AN: Please review! It keeps an author going!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4 No Rest for the Weary**

After what seemed like hours, Zane arrived. I stood up. "Finally. Now, can you open this door?"

Zane gave me a funny look. " _Alohomora!"_

I tried the door again and it swung open easily. We entered the library as Zane said, "I arrived at midnight, just as you asked."

I was looking around at the massive shelves, looking for the entrance to the restricted section.

"Yeah." Then I saw it. The rope that separated the regular library from the forbidden shelves. I bolted toward the ropes. I stepped carefully over the rope, with Zane.

"Kai, wait," he warned. I ignored him. After setting the flashlight on the floor, I pulled a book off the shelf. Zane tried again. "Wait! It could be—"

I cracked open the leather cover. A scream pierced air. I slammed the book shut, but the shriek continued. I shoved the book back and covered my ears, but the noise continued on and on.

When the noise finally did stop, Zane finished his sentence. "—enchanted."

I sighed. Now he tells me? I looked around to see if anyone had heard. I strained my ears for the sound of footsteps, but I didn't hear anything.

"Well, at least no one heard us."

"I sense you are mistaken."

As soon as he finished speaking, I heard a strange voice. "Let's see what we got here."

I grabbed Zane and ducked behind another bookshelf. In my haste, I forgot the flashlight. I stole a glance around the corner. I couldn't make out the figure very well in the limited light, but I could tell he was coming this way. I pressed myself up against the self and hoped he wouldn't find us.

"What's this?" The voice said. "An intruder? Well, they won't get away from the Brown Ninja!"

I stole a look at Zane and gestured that we should make our way out of here while we still could. He nodded and slid silently across the floor. I followed, but cringed at every sound I made. The Brown Ninja was still looking around the area where we left the flashlight. Fortunately, we were long gone by the time he got the shelf where we were hiding. Once he wasn't looking, Zane and I climbed over the rope and made our way out the library. We didn't stop moving till we were long gone.

I let out a deep sigh of relief. "We made it."

"What do we do now?" Zane asked.

It was hard talking to him in the dark. I wished I hadn't dropped that flashlight. "We'll just have to break in tomorrow. Meet you at the library same time."

Zane nodded. There was nothing else to say, so he left. I wandered back to the dormitories. Now that the excitement was over, I yawned widely. I was exhausted. Hopefully I could get some sleep before school.

I crashed in bed and closed my eyes...Only to wake up a few seconds later. Now time sped up? I could hardly get out of bed. I had no idea how I was going to make it through class. At breakfast, I drank some coffee. It tasted terrible, but at least it gave me an energy boost. Sort of. It was enough to get me through the day.

* * *

The next night, Zane and I snuck back to the library, only to find the Brown Ninja was standing at the door. There was no way we were getting past him without getting caught. Another sleepless night. This time, it was going to take more than coffee to keep me awake. I told Zane that we would take a break till the weekend. I couldn't keep going on four hours of sleep at night.

Master Wu was fluting when we walked into class. Great. I was already tired, now this tranquil music was begging me to doze off. I slumped into my seat and tired to stay awake. My eyes flickered shut.

"Students..." I missed the rest of Master Wu's sentence. Before I knew it, I was snoring softly.

"Kai, Kai, wake up!" Jay whispered.

I shifted in my seat and ignored him. A book clapped in my face. I sat up in a flash.

"Wh-What?" I stuttered. Master Wu was standing in front of my desk.

"Life is short, Kai. You should pay more attention," he said.

Chen sniggered. I was too tired and ashamed to really care. "Yes, sir."

After that, I tried to focus, but my eyelids kept drooping against my will. Master Wu was talking about the importance of feeling the magical energy all around us. This stuff was way over my head and was not helping me stay awake. After class, I nearly walked into the doorpost.

Jay walked beside me to magical history, chatting the whole time. I had gotten used to it by now.

"Kai, are you alright?" He asked.

It took me a second to register Jay's question. "Uh, yeah. Just had a rough night's sleep last night."

Jay didn't look convinced. "That's what you said yesterday."

I shrugged. "I had two rough nights in a row." It wasn't a lie. These past few nights have been terrible.

Jay refused drop it. "Come on, buddy."

The word cut through my sleepy haze. We were buddies? Sure we walked to class together and I would listen to him talk, but did that make us friends? We were almost at magical history, so I was saved from answering him. Or not.

"Talk to me," Jay begged.

"We'll talk at lunch," I promised him.

* * *

During Magical History, I dozed off during the invention of some cauldron or another. Mr. Hutchins must not have noticed. After roll call, he became engrossed in his lectures. As I left class, I notice Jay was watching me; his eyes filled with concern. Even after my nap, I still felt exhausted.

A new battle to stay awake began. I noticed that Zane didn't look tired at all, despite everything we've gone through. My mouth dropped open. That kid is inhuman!

Mistaké didn't waste any time starting class. Within five minutes, we had our cauldrons out and the ingredients laid out on the desks. She wrote the instructions for making the boil cure potion on the board. I tried my best to follow, but it was hard work when my body would hardly respond when I wanted it to.

The writing on the board became a blur and I couldn't remember how much of what ingredient I had put in the cauldron. I couldn't tell if my potion looked right or not. It was simmering nicely on the fire. I hoped that was a good sign. The smoke was making me drowsy. I peered at the board. Okay... It was time to add the porcupine quills.

I grabbed the quills and dropped them in the potion. I turned to grab my stirring rod, when a terrible odor hit my nose. It was bad enough to wake me right up. Some of the other people around me were wrinkling their noses in disgust. Someone pointed at my cauldron. I looked back, and to my horror, my cauldron was melting.

Soon, all that was left was a puddle. Mistaké glared at me disapprovingly. "Did you take your cauldron off the fire before adding the porcupine quills?"

I sighed. "No, ma'am."

"That explains that," she gestured at the mess I created. "Well, don't just stand there. Clean it up."

I started and scrambled to clean up my failed potion. My hand brushed the liquid. Instantly, painful boils appeared all over my skin. Great. Just great. This day couldn't get any worse. My cheeks flushed red as I asked Mistaké if I could go to the Infirmary. I had to show her my hand before she finally let me go.

Once my hand was back to normal, it was time for DADA. I managed to avoid embarrassing myself during class, but I didn't perform exceptionally well either. I grabbed my food and walked down to the library with Jay following me. I slumped over on the floor and closed my eyes.

Only my hunger kept me from falling asleep. I forced my eyelids open and picked at my food. Zane and Jay sat next to me.

"So," Jay prompted. "What's going on?"

Zane looked at me. I sighed. Might as well tell Jay. I doubted that he would give up.

"Remember that golden clock?" I asked. "Zane and I are doing research, but in order to do that, we have to break into the restricted section."

"The restricted section?!" Jay repeated.

"Shh," I said. I didn't want anyone over hearing. "That's what we've been doing the past two nights."

Jay looked between Zane and I in shock. Zane nodded in confirmation of my story. At last, Jay just shook his head in disbelief.

"So, did you find anything?" he asked. I guess curiosity got the best of him.

Zane answered for me. "Negative."

"This man called the Brown Ninja keeps getting in our way," I explained.

Jay frowned. "So what are you going to do?"

"We are going to try again this weekend," Zane said.

"Shhh," I said again. _Announce our plans to the whole world, will you?_ I thought to myself. Seriously, couldn't they whisper? Fortunately, I didn't see anyone within earshot.

"Can I come with you?" Jay asked.

I was surprised. He didn't seem like the kind of person who would go on a mission like this.

"I guess." I don't know what he could do, but I didn't see any reason to stop him from coming. "Meet us at the library at midnight on Saturday," I told him.

"You guys should be more careful about what you say," a voice said. I glanced behind me. Cole emerged from behind a bookshelf. "Seriously, you are so loud, anyone could hear you."

I breathed a sigh of relief. It was only Cole.

"What are you doing here?" Jay asked incredulously.

Cole folded his arms. "I was concerned about Kai. I didn't see you in the lunch room, so I came here right as I heard about your plans to break into the restricted section."

"You won't tell anyone, right?" I asked.

"Only if you let me come with you," Cole replied.

I sighed. It seemed we didn't have much of a choice. Once again, the four of us were being thrown together into a dangerous situation.

"Alright," I relented.

The rest of day was constant struggle to stay awake, but at least I had something to look forward to. With the four of us working together, maybe we could find a way to get past the Brown Ninja.

* * *

That night, I lay in bed and closed my eyes. Sleep came quickly for me. A smile touched my face. At long last, I would get a full night's sleep.

 _I was standing in a large room with the golden clock. I felt like an ant next to the giant machinery. It cast a massive shadow over me. I noticed that the minute hand was inches from the skull. Laughter surrounded me. It was the kind of sound that sent chills down your spine, and made you want to cover your ears. The lights in the ceiling flickered._

" _Soon," said a deep, gravelly voice. Fear flooded me._

 _I tried to run from the room, to get away from the voice, but I wasn't going anywhere. I was pumping my legs, but I kept winding up in the same room. I had no choice but to turn back toward the clock. The seconds continued to tick down, closer and closer to the skull._

" _Soon, I will be free," The voice said._

 _I didn't want to be in this room when the voice was released. I had no doubt that this was not a person to meet. I wished I could be anywhere but here. But my body was rooted to the spot. I was trapped, forced to watch the time._

 _Tick._

 _Tick._

 _Tick._

I woke up in cold sweat. Why couldn't I get a good night's sleep? I forced the dream out of my head and lay back down. I pulled the covers over me and tried to shut out the deep, gravelly laughter. When I did go back to sleep, the voice haunted me in my dreams.

* * *

 **AN: Please review! Updates every week!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: The Restricted Section**

I forgot all about my dream by the time it was Saturday. That evening, I stayed up working on an essay for Master Wu. It was due Monday, but since I had nothing better to do till midnight, I decided to work on it. I had to write three pages about the importance of mediating in order to find your true potential. This stuff was way over my head.

By the time midnight rolled around, I had written three words. I groaned. This was going nowhere! I crumpled up the parchment and threw it in the trash. I would try again tomorrow. Or I could ask Zane for help. I pushed my essay out of my mind and slipped into my black gear and left the common room.

I groped through the dark hallways, wishing I hadn't left my flashlight for the Brown Ninja to find. By the time I found the library, all the others were already there.

"There you are," Jay whispered as loudly as he dared.

"We were starting to think you weren't coming," Cole said.

"Sorry guys," I muttered. For a second, I wondered why they were talking so softly. Then I saw that the Brown Ninja was still standing outside the library doors. Didn't that guy ever give up?

"How are we going to get passed him?" I said to myself.

Jay reached into his kimono and pulled out a small train that we had been working on in Magic and Technology class. It was supposed to be able to move on its own power in a circle.

"You carry your homework around with you?" Cole asked.

"Don't judge me, okay?" Jay whispered angrily. "I was working on it before coming over here and I stuck it in my pocket. Let me work on my homework."

Zane looked over at the train. Suddenly, he snatched it right out of Jay's hands.

"Hey!" Jay whispered in outrage.

I watched as Zane whispered the incantation, and then set the train down on the ground. What was he thinking? He flicked his wand and the train whizzed toward the Brown Ninja.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

Zane didn't respond. It seemed that all we could do is wait and see what he had planned. The little train whirred by the big ninja's feet.

"What do we have here?" He bent down to pick it up.

Zane swished his wand and whispered, " _Petrificus Totalus!"_

The Brown Ninja stiffened and fell over. I gasped. Zane strode forward into the library. Then he turned when he realized we weren't following him.

"The spell won't last forever," Zane reminded me.

I shook off my surprise and walked past the Brown Ninja. I kept going toward the restricted section.

"Wait," Jay said. I turned back to look at him. Jay grabbed his train from the Brown Ninja, and then ran to catch up with us. "Okay, let's go."

I sighed. Jay could be really annoying some times. I led the way to the rope that marked the restricted section. One by one we stepped over the rope, until, once again, Jay held us up again.

"Come on, Jay," I beckoned.

He hesitated. "What if it's booby-trapped?"

Cole frowned. "We stepped over the line and we're fine."

"Well, what if the Brown Ninja isn't the only guard?" Jay protested.

I sighed this was going nowhere. "Stand guard then."

"I'm not staying in this place by myself!"

"Then come with us!"

Jay shook his head. After a few seconds, Cole stepped back over the rope. "I'll stand guard with him. You guys go ahead. We'll tell you if we see anything."

I nodded and left them at the rope. I glanced at the titles on the wall to see if any of them would be helpful. _Magick Moste Evile,_ _Famous Fire-Eaters, Fifteenth-Century Fiends…_ No, no, and no. Zane and I scoured the shelves from top to bottom. Nothing. I wanted to scream in frustration. We continued to search for what felt like hours. We walked up and down the aisles.

Wait. What was that? I noticed a small, leather book with gold lettering. It was hard to make out the title. I gestured for Zane to come join me.

"Ancient Dark Artifacts," he read out loud.

We looked at each other. This could be it. I reached out to grab it, but Zane put his hand out to stop me.

"It could be cursed," he warned.

I remembered the shrieking book and shuddered. "What do we do?"

"Check for curses?" a voice suggested. I nearly jumped. Cole was standing behind me with Jay hiding at his shoulder.

"Don't do that! I thought you guys were standing guard," I said.

Cole shrugged. "I got bored. So I came to find you guys."

I exhaled loudly and turned my attention back to the book. "Anyways… _How_ are we going to check for curses?"

"Like this." Cole whipped out his wand and started prodding the book.

"Cole! Don't do that! Remember the statues!" Jay shouted.

"Shh," I told Jay.

Cole stopped prodding the book and folded his arms. "Then what you suggest, genius?"

Jay frowned. "I don't know." He pulled out his own wand. "Uh, _Revealus Cursio!"_ Not surprisingly, nothing happened.

"That's not a real spell," Zane put in helpfully.

Jay snapped. "I know! I know! I was trying something out, okay! Why don't you just figure it out, since you're such a brainiac!"

Zane blinked. I tried to get between them before a fight erupted. "Look, we'll figure something out. We need to calm down and figure this out before the Brown Ninja wakes up."

Everyone looked at each other, and then looked down at the book. I took a deep breath and turned to Zane. Jay was right. Zane knew pretty much everything. If anyone were going to be able to find the curses, it would be him.

"Do you know any de-cursing spells by any chance?"

Zane shook his head. "I sense that the best course of action is to pick up the book and take a closer look."

I sighed. The unknown gripped my heart in a tight vice. I leaned forward slowly, wondering what was in store for me. The shriek of the last book pierced through my mind and I relived the terror of the statues coming to life. This was it. The moment of truth. I gently touched the spine. It felt like worn leather, not like anything dangerous. I pulled it off the shelf and let it drop into my hand without opening it. I still wasn't sure if it was cursed or not.

Everyone flocked around me, eager to see what would happen. I thumbed the cover and got ready to turn the first page.

"Wait!" Jay cried. "Remember the statues?"

How could I forget? I still had the bruise from where the stone warrior had grabbed me.

"Look, we can't check for curses, so we might as well just open it. Whatever happens, happens."

Jay bit his lip but said nothing. I looked around and Cole and Zane's faces for confirmation. They nodded. I took a deep breath and flipped open the cover as fast as possible. The table of contents stared back at me. We all let out a collective sigh of relief. No tricks or traps with this book. Maybe this was a sign that we were finally heading in the right direction.

I scoured the table of contents for hints of where a golden clock might be hidden. Titles included Cursed Graves, Jinxed Weapons, The Lost Fang Blades, Secret of the Time Blades and more. None of them looked promising.

Cole pointed to one of the chapter titles. "What's that?" He asked.

"The Extraordinary Behind the Ordinary? I don't know," I answered.

"Let's look at it," Cole suggested.

Since I didn't have any better ideas I flipped over to page 155. Everyone clustered in tighter and I could feel their breath on my neck. I cleared my throat and started reading out loud.

"From rings to lockets, ordinary objects have hidden great curses and jinxes that have destroyed many a wizard."

Maybe the clock was in here after all. It was an everyday object. But the design was so extravagant…still my hopes were raised. I skimmed through the chapter looking for any mention of magical clocks. There was one coo-coo clock cursed to hit intruders that tried to walk past it, and an hourglass that turned back time, but no golden clocks like the one we had seen. I turned the next page, only to find the next chapter tile. I sighed. That didn't help.

"Maybe it's in another chapter," Jay said hesitantly.

I wasn't so sure. "Maybe." I flipped through chapter after chapter. I read about a stone that could raise the dead, a mega weapon with the power to create anything the owner desired, a jewel that could transport you between realms (whatever that meant), and blades that could revive a horrific snake.

"Hey, that looks like my dad's trophy," Cole said, pointing at a picture of one of the Fang Blades.

"Your dad has a cursed blade in his house?" I asked.

"No, it's an award for winning the Ninjago Talent Show."

"Huh." Cool, but not helpful. Eventually, we came to the end of the book with nothing to show for it. The golden clock simply wasn't in the book.

"That can't be it! There has to be something else!" Jay cried.

Cole sighed. "So all of this was for nothing."

"You mean to tell me that we attacked a man, broke into the restricted section and scared me half to death for nothing?!" Jay yelled.

"That's what I'm saying," Cole replied.

I ignored them as they continued to argue back and forth. I returned the book to its shelf and stood up. I was at a loss. I looked at Zane in despair.

"What are we going to do now?"

He thought for a moment. I held my breath. I had come to rely on Zane for answers. If he didn't have any ideas, I didn't know what I would do.

He finally answered, "My father has a vast library. I could continue to research there over break."

I forgot that term was almost halfway over already. It wouldn't be long until school got out for summer break. I wasn't sure what I was going to do during that time. I could go home and see Nya again, but I wasn't sure I was ready to face Karin and Carl. They would probably go ballistic since I've been gone so long.

Zane was still staring at me, so I said, "Sounds good."

I turned to Jay and Cole. "Come on. We should head back to the dormitories."

They glared at each other before finally relenting. Right as we walked out past the Brown Ninja, he started to unfreeze. So Zane froze him again, and we continued on until we had to split our separate ways. We promised to keep in touch and headed back to our rooms.

I crawled up into my bed and stared at the bunk above me. I listened to the gentle snores around me and thought about our trip to the restricted section. I could almost hear Nya's voice scolding me about how reckless we had been. I sighed.

It seemed that my recklessness had failed. Now, all I could do is wait. I closed my eyes and let sleep take me. I dreamed of the clock slowly ticking down to the skull, and the terrible voice that boasted about its release.

 **AN: Hope you guys are enjoying! Reviews are always welcome!**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6 True Potential

The next few weeks whipped by. I barely had time to think about the clock between homework and mastering spells. I still hadn't come close to unlocking my elemental powers, unlike my classmates. Some of them had managed to conjure up whispers of their elements. Even Jay had managed to create a few sparks. I wasn't faring much better in any of my other classes either.

The one thing I had to look forward to was my lunches in the library. Cole, Jay, Zane and I had made of habit of eating in the library so we could sit together. In the dinning hall, we were stuck with our houses. We talked and exchanged homework answers. We almost forgot the clock, a distant shadow in our minds.

I was still failing Elemental Magic on my own, so I started tutoring with Zane. He tried to help find my inner peace, but I couldn't look inside myself at all. All I could see was clouds and darkness.

I sighed. "Zane, this isn't working," I told him during one of our lessons.

Zane looked at me. "Correct."

"Not helping," I muttered.

"What did you say?" he asked.

"Nothing. So what should I do? I'm practically failing the class."

"Why don't you ask Master Wu?" he suggested.

"Okay," I replied. I felt better having a plan in place.

* * *

The next day after class, I approached Wu. "Master, I need help. I just can't seem to unlock my elemental powers."

He took a sip of tea before replying. "One must look within to reach their true potential. We all have obstacles we must overcome."

I gritted my teeth. "Can you show me _how_ to do that?"

Wu poured himself some more tea. "It is a journey you must make on your own." I clenched my fists. "But," he continued. "If you insist, meet me here after your last class."

I smiled. "Thank you, Master Wu."

I spent the rest of the day looking forward to my one on one lesson with Wu. I was finally going to unlock my elemental powers! Not even Professor Nuero could get me down. Sure my pencil looked more like a long stick than it did a spear, but that was beside the point. I was making progress. On the bright side, Chen's didn't look any better than mine.

I practically ran down the hallways to room 102. I didn't have to look at the map anymore. The once massive school was starting to feel like home. I pushed open the door and ran in panting.

"Master Wu," I said in between breaths, "I'm here."

Not surprisingly, he was boiling a pot of tea. "Sit down, Kai. Have some tea."

I wasn't sure what tea had to do with anything, but he was giving me private instructions, so I decided to humor him. I sat down across from the sensei and accepted a cup of hot tea. I took a sip and set it down.

"So what should I do, Master?"

Master Wu frowned. "Patience, Kai. The forest didn't grow in a day. Calm your mind."

I sighed. I had already done several of these exercises with Zane, but I forced down my impatience and drank some more tea. It really was delicious. I tried to let my mind float away in the peacefulness of the sensei's room.

"Now what?"

Master Wu chuckled. "Don't rush things, Kai. Anything worth having is worth waiting for."

I frowned. I could tell this wasn't going to be the quick fix I hoped for. I really wanted my elemental powers though, so I decided to give his way a shot.

I finished my cup of tea and thanked Master Wu for his time.

"Of course," he replied.

* * *

Something in tea had relaxed me and improved my focus. I finished my homework in record time. I couldn't believe it! I had to get his recipe.

That night, I drifted easily to sleep. It didn't stop me from dreaming though.

 _I found myself in the same dark room. All the lights in the ceiling were broken, leaving only the luminous gold of the clock to cast a little glow. I noticed that the minute hand was closer to the skull than normal. It appeared to be only three minutes away. I backed away slowly. Something evil was coming._

 _Laughter echoed around the room. "Your time is almost up, Kai Umas."_

 _I tripped and fell, but I still kept scooting backward. I didn't ask how it knew my name. All I cared about was getting out of here, but like usual; I was trapped in this room._

" _Get ready to meet your new Overlord," the voice continued._

 _My heart pounded. I looked around for an exit, but there was none. I pushed myself up to my feet. Two minutes 'til its release. I was used to this nightmare. All I had to do was wake up and it would end. Wake up. Wake up. WAKE UP!_

 _One minute. It was getting harder to catch my breath. My dream had never lasted this long before. I was trapped. Dark hands came from the clock, grabbing me, choking me. I couldn't breathe._

 _30 seconds._

 _20 seconds._

 _10._

 _9._

 _The last thing I saw was the skull, laughing at my weakness as the darkness took me._

I woke up in a flash. I still couldn't breathe. I panicked and floundered around in bed. I threw off the sheets and pushed my face out of my pillow. I inhaled and devoured the sweet taste of air. I breathed a sigh of relief. I must have buried myself into my pillow sometime during the night. It was just a dream. That dark Overlord couldn't kill me.

Still, I couldn't fall back asleep.

* * *

The next morning, I drank two cups of coffee. During Elemental Magic, I thought my hands got a little warmer, but maybe it was just wishful thinking. Frustration built in my chest. Next to me, Jay managed to power a small light bulb with his electricity. On the other side, Chen had lit three candles.

I growled. Why couldn't I produce flames? It seemed I was going back to Master Wu again.

That afternoon, I slumped down in my seat across from Wu and started pouring myself some tea. I closed my eyes, and tried to relax.

 _I saw the dark room with the gold clock in front of me. Tick. Tick. Tick. It was almost at the skull…_

I opened my eyes in a flash. These dreams were getting worse.

"What's the matter, Kai?" Master Wu asked.

"Nothing," I answered quickly. I wasn't ready to tell any of the adults about this yet.

He frowned, but didn't press it. "Your spirit is turbulent. You would do well to dispel the storm inside."

I sighed. I tried to let go of my feelings of frustration and fear and calm down. It wasn't easy though. I kept thinking about Chen or the clock, which riled me up all over again.

"Master Wu, I just can't do it."

He set down his cup of tea. "Hmmm. Can't? Or won't?"

"What?"

"An obstacle is blocking your path to peace. Only when you remove that obstacle will you unlock your true potential."

"What obstacle? Tell me, Master."

Wu sighed. "Your stubbornness. It clouds your mind and impairs your elemental power. Let go, Kai, if you wish to reach your true potential."

"But how do I do that?" I begged.

"I can't give you all the answers. You must discover these things for yourself."

I left the room angry and no closer to my elemental power. _Let go of your stubbornness. Hah! Easy for you to say_. I didn't dare say that to his face, but I wanted to so bad.

* * *

The following day, I tried to calm myself down before I tried to use my elemental powers. A small spark danced across my fingers. Shock flooded me. I did it! It wasn't a full flame, but I was making progress. I smiled. Master Wu was right after all.

I bragged about it during lunch. Even though my friends were way ahead of me, they still congratulated me and seemed genuinely happy for me. I applied the same strategy in Transfiguration, and I managed to make a halfway believable spear. Things were looking up for me.

That night, I didn't have any dreams either.

I continued to have my lessons with Master Wu because I still couldn't make a full flame. Weeks flew by and I was still way behind the rest of my classmates. Next week was summer break, and I still could barely light a candle.

I came into room 102 like usual. I cleared my mind and worked on calming myself down. After an hour or so, I got up. It was time to go.

Before I left, Master Wu asked me a question. "What are you doing for break, Kai?"

I didn't expect this. Sensei seemed so separated from the students that I wasn't prepared for a personal question. Especially this one. I wasn't even sure myself.

"I wanted to go home to see my sister, but I'm afraid to face my foster parents."

Master Wu nodded. "Do you miss your sister?"

I sighed. "Of course. This is the longest we've been apart."

Wu smiled. "And since she can't come to the school, this would be your only chance to see her for a while."

I saw what Wu was getting at, but his words had the opposite effect on me. Nya couldn't come to school. She would never understand that. If I came back, she would want to follow me, no matter what I said. And once she knew the secret of the veil protecting the school, there would be no stopping her. As much as it pained me, it would be better if I didn't come home in the first place. I would send her another letter, but that would be it.

I thanked Master Wu for his time and left. I couldn't concentrate on my homework. I kept thinking about Nya. Finally, I couldn't stand it any longer. I walked out of the dormitory and headed to the Owlery. It took me several tries, but I finally wrote a letter explaining the situation to my little sister. I told her I missed her and hoped to see her soon.

I tied the letter to the leg of Great Grey and watched it become a dot in the distance. I noticed the sun was setting.

I wrapped up the last of my essays and then went to bed. The minute hand was closer now. The shadows were thicker. The laughter was louder. Time was running out. Somehow, we had to figure out what that clock was before it was too late.

* * *

At lunch, I decided to ask the others about their plans for break.

"I'm going home to see my parents," Jay told me.

"The junkyard in the middle of nowhere, right?" Cole asked.

Jay frowned. "It's not in the middle of nowhere. It's just ten miles south of the city."

"Practically nowhere," Cole replied.

I hurried to change the subject. "What about you, Cole? Are you going home?"

Cole laughed. "No way! My dad thinks I'm going to a musical school on the other side of Ninjago. If I come home, he'll start asking me questions and figure out that I've been lying to him. And if that happens," he shuddered. "I'm dead."

I laughed too. "I guess we'll be spending break together then."

Jay looked at me in surprise. "You're not going home?"

I shook my head. "No. If I go home, Nya will never let me go back without her. I have to stay here."

"If you say so," Jay replied.

"And you're going to your father's place, right, Zane?" Cole asked.

Zane nodded. Just then, the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch. This would be the last time we all saw each other before break. I said goodbye to the others and left for Charms class. Before I did though, I wanted to ask Zane a question.

"While you're researching over break, can you look something else up for me?"

"Of course. What is it?"

I hesitated. "Someone called the _Overlord_." I had heard the name several times in my nightmares and it was bugging me.

"I will," he replied.

I felt instantly better. "Thanks, Zane." Now I could worry about other things.

The rest of the day, I kept thinking about Nya. I decided that I would send her another letter tonight. Although the school was starting to feel like home, it could never replace the kinship we shared. I wondered how I was going to survive the rest of the year.

That night, instead of being in the clock room, I was sitting at the dining room table. I was eating Karin's food with Nya at my side. After dinner, we left the table and went up to my room. We laughed and shared secrets under the cover of darkness. I told her all about my experiences at school, and she told me about the mischief she had gotten into while I was gone. I told Nya I loved her. She gave me a hug and told me she loved me too.

I woke up smiling.

* * *

AN: In case any of you were wondering, I am putting some Japanese elements in here, as it seemed fitting. In the Japanese system, school starts in April. Then they get a summer break. Reviews are always welcome!


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7 Haunting Past

I ate breakfast like normal and automatically started walking toward Master Wu's class.

"Where are you going, Kai? We don't have classes. It's break, remember?" Cole called after me.

Oh right. I laughed awkwardly. "I completely forgot. Thanks for reminding me."

Cole ran up to me. "No problem."

"So what should we do then? I've got a mountain of homework. Want to help me?"

Cole shook his head with a smile. "No way. I've got a better idea."

"What?"

"I'll show you." He took off running. I had to sprint to keep up with him. He ran down corridors I had never seen before. This really was a surprise. Where was Cole taking me? He stopped in front of a set of plain doors. I nearly ran into him.

"Where are we?" I asked.

Cole pushed open the doors. I followed him hesitantly. My mouth dropped. I couldn't believe my eyes. Cole turned around and spread his arms wide. "Welcome to the kitchen!" He announced.

It was amazing. Tons of food was just lying around. Cakes and pastries and sweet and savory goodies lined the counters. Magic bowls were stirring batches of dough. Fry pans flipped a batch of eggs by themselves. The air was filled with delicious smells that made my mouth water.

"How did you find this place?" I asked. I didn't remember seeing it on the map.

Cole shrugged. "I got bored one day and started exploring. I figured the food didn't just come from nowhere and I was right." He gave me a boyish grin. "Now let's dig in!" He grabbed a cake and started chowing down without bothering with silverware.

I shook my head and laughed. Cole had a crazy appetite.

"Are you sure no one will notice?" I asked.

"The kitchen runs itself, even if someone did notice, there's so much food here that no one's gonna miss a few things here or there."

I wasn't so sure, however, all this food was too good to resist. I started snacking on a cherry pie. It was delicious. We had the entire kitchen to ourselves. We ate and ate until we were full and then some more. When we were done, we walked back toward the cafeteria. Since we couldn't go into each other's house dormitories, it was one of the few places we could hang out. And neither of us felt like going to library.

So few people stayed at school during break that the house tables had been disbanded. Cole and I could sit at any one of the five tables. We sat at the earth table so we could avoid Chen, who unfortunately, had stayed at school as well. Honestly, it was like that guy was trying to make my life miserable.

"Hey, Cole, I want to ask you something," I said as we sat down.

Cole reached for a cupcake, even though he had stuffed his face in the kitchen. "Shoot."

"Why didn't you want to go to music school? And why is your dad forcing you into it?" The first thing Cole had ever said to me was he didn't want to go to the music school his dad had tried to send him to. Ever since then, it had been bugging me. Then, he mentioned it again when we were talking about break.

Cole sighed. "It's complicated. My dad is major musician. He's part of the Royal Blacksmiths, a quartet that's won the Ninjago Talent Show multiple times. He wants me to carry on his legacy, only I can't." He stopped.

I got the feeling it was a touchy subject. I wanted to press it more, but it would be insensitive to him. Maybe later.

"Well, I'm glad you came here instead. School wouldn't be the same without you."

Cole smiled. He was back to his normal self. "I'm glad I'm here too." He looked up at the ceiling. "It looks like the mail's here."

Everyday week, the mail came in around noon and was delivered to the dormitories at night if you don't own one. At lunch, you could watch the owls swoop in the building. Sometimes they would fly straight to their owners instead of going to the Owlery. They were very loyal creatures. I wished I could buy one. I watched a couple land on the tables next to students.

To my surprise, one landed next to me. It was the same owl that I had sent out last night. Cole seemed shocked too. It pecked my hand.

"Ouch! Alright, alright already." I untied the letter on the owl's leg.

Cole peered over my shoulder. "What does it say?"

I scanned it quickly. "It's from Nya!"

"Your younger sister?" Cole clarified.

I nodded. She figured out how to send an owl message? I smiled. Nya was resourceful. I summarized it out loud for Cole.

"She says she misses me and wishes she had come with me the day I left for school. Things haven't been the same since I've left. She hopes I'm doing alright with her gone." I laughed.

"What is it?" Cole asked.

"Nya says that if anything happens to me, she'll march up to the school herself, 'so don't make me come after you'."

Cole seemed sad. "You have a good relationship with your family."

"Yeah. Ever since our parents disappeared, we've looked after each other. We have our ups and downs, but we love each other a lot."

Cole sighed. "I wish I had someone like that in my life."

I didn't like seeing Cole this depressed. I rushed to change the subject. "Did you find any other cool places while you were exploring?"

Cole grinned. "Yeah."

He took me to a hall of mirrors that stretched or widened your reflection, a staircase that would turn into a massive slide, and a secret passage to the teacher's lounge. We had a great time. I hoped that every day of break would be like this one.

"My favorite place though was the kitchen," Cole said at the end of his tour.

I laughed. After all these amazing places, he picks the kitchen.

"Well, that was a lot of fun." A clock struck ten o'clock. I couldn't believe we had been up this long. "I guess I better go to bed. See you tomorrow, Cole," I said.

"Bye, Kai," Cole replied. We went our separate ways. That night, I dreamed I was in the dark room again.

 _This time, when I tried to back up, I ran right into a wall. The Overlord laughed at my pain. I balled my hands into fists. He had tortured me long enough. Time that I fought back. I tried to summon my elemental power. Small flames sparked in my hands and I charged the clock. I yanked on everything within reach until I ran out of strength and collapsed. I panted on the ground and looked up at the golden structure. I had done nothing._

" _You cannot stop me!" The Overlord cried._

 _I was starting to think that he was right. I sighed. We couldn't find anything about the clock and I was powerless here in the dream world._

" _But that doesn't mean we're going to give up!" a voice behind me said. I looked up in surprise. This was new._

 _Behind me, Cole, Zane, and even Jay stood defiantly. I smiled gratefully._

" _You fools!" The Overlord shouted. "You can never win!" The room around us started shaking. The four of us looked at each other nervously._

" _We're all gonna die!" Jay cried. Cole tried to use his earth powers to hold up the ceiling while Zane tried casting spells, but none of them were working. The Overlord cackled. I glared at the clock. There was nothing I could to do to stop it, even with my friends. I looked up. A massive chunk of the ceiling fell. It was going to smash me to bits._

I woke up in a cold sweat. I wished these nightmares would stop. I wondered if Mistaké had a tonic that would help me to sleep better. She had potions and teas for everything. I decided to get my homework done today. I didn't bother to get any breakfast. I wasn't hungry after all the food I ate yesterday.

The next few weeks were spent working on essays, practicing spells, and hanging out with Cole. School didn't start again until September, so I had a whole month of lying around doing nothing.

Meanwhile, my nightmares didn't get any better, but at least they weren't getting worse. Nobody had died in any of them yet, which was a plus.I wondered if I should talk to someone about my dreams. Nah. They would probably think I was crazy.

At lunch, I watched Cole stuff his face. The kid had a crazy appetite.

"How can you eat so much?" I asked.

He shrugged. "I'm a growing boy. I need all the food I could get."

I laughed. Already, he had cleaned three dinner plates full of food and was still going.

"Do you eat like this at home?"

Cole swallowed before answering. "No. My dad won't let me. He thinks that I spent too much time eating large meals, and wants me to practice dancing and singing instead."

That must be tough. "Are you any good?"

Cole shook his head. "Have you ever heard me sing?"

"It can't be that bad."

"Oh yes it can. I sound like I'm dying, and my dancing isn't much better. Did you know that my dad tried to make me do the Triple Tiger Sashay?"

I was confused. "What's that?"

"A ridiculously hard dance move that has never been successfully completed. My dad thought that since I was his son that I could do it. When I was SEVEN! Well, he was sure wrong."

I got the feeling that Cole had kept this pent up for a while. I wanted to help him, but I wasn't sure how.

"I'm sorry, Cole."

He snorted. "Ever since then, he drilled me every single minute of every day so I could get better. My dad enrolled me in a musical school without my consent. I was so happy when I got my letter from here, because I could finally get away from it all." He sighed.

I wasn't sure what to do. Cole looked so sad. "Sounds like you had a hard life."

"Hard doesn't even cover it," he replied. We sat in silence for a moment.

"Well, I'm feeling a bit hungry for some cherry pie. Do you want to come down to the kitchen with me?" I asked him.

That cheered Cole up a bit. "Sure."

The rest of the day, I stayed away from any touchy subjects and simply enjoyed Cole's company.

All too soon, it was time for school to start up again. I stood at the window and watched a hoard of students climb up the steps to the monastery. I looked for Zane's white hair and Jay's orange scarf. I spotted Zane and waved him over.

He zoomed over toward me. He looked more serious than normal. I wondered what was the matter.

"Did you find something?" I asked.

Zane frowned. "Kai, we have to talk."

"Okay…" I said.

He shook his head. "Not here."

I looked around at all the students. Then I saw Master Wu and the other teachers. "Meet me in the library with the others in an hour."

That ought to give Jay enough time to climb the mountain. Zane nodded. We separated so as not to arouse any suspicion. You could never be too careful. I hoped that I would finally get some answers. I tried to find Cole so I could tell him about the meeting. I trusted that Zane would tell Jay. As I walked down the quiet hallways, I thought I could hear something following me. It sounded like the clock from my nightmares.

 _Tick. Tick. Tick._

 **AN:** As always, reviews are appreciated. To be continued next week…


	8. Chapter 8: Time to Take Action

Chapter 8: Time to Take Action

An hour later, we all gathered in the library. We found a secluded area tucked in the back with towering bookshelves to block out the sound. I was dying to hear what Zane had to say.

"Well?" I asked when we had all settled down.

Zane waited a moment to make sure no one was listening. "After doing extensive research, I found a connection to the Overlord and the clock we saw." He paused for a moment, and then continued, "The Overlord—"

"Wait," Cole interrupted. "Who's this Overlord?"

I groaned. Even though I didn't know myself, I just wanted to cut to the chase. Zane was more patient than I, and started explaining that the Overlord was a dark wizard that terrorized people nine years ago, until a mysterious gold wizard had appeared and supposedly destroyed him.

"So, what does that have to do with the clock?" I asked.

"At first, I wasn't sure," Zane answerd. "Then I discovered that the Overlord had two dark followers known as the Hands of Time. They had the ability to slow, speed up, pause, or even reverse time."

"And?" Jay prompted.

"I believe they managed to stop time before the Overlord was destroyed and used dark magic to preserve his spirit in the Celestial Clock here at school. I also have come to the conclusion that the spell has a time limit. When the hands reach the skull, the Overlord will be released."

"How do you know?" I demanded.

Zane pulled out a huge stack of books out of his bag. I gasped. He brought his research with him?

"Here are the books I used in my research," Zane explained. He pointed at one titled: _History of Master Wu's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_. "This book describes a list of artifacts located here in this building. One of them is the Celestial Clock, which has a similar description to the clock we saw," He pointed to another book, "And over here—"

"Okay, we believe you," Cole interrupted. "The real question is: what are we going to do about it?"

We sat in silence. Ideas swirled around my brain, none of them any good. One conclusion kept coming around in my mind, but I didn't like it. There had to be something else we could do. The Overlord's laugh echoed in my mind.

"Tell an adult?" Jay suggested.

"Who's going to believe us?" I asked him. "We're just a bunch of kids."

Jay fell silent. I looked around the circle. Nobody had any other ideas. I sighed. "Guys, we're going to have to stop this ourselves."

Jay gasped. "But we're just first years! We're gonna get killed!"

"Correct," Zane agreed.

"This is a terrible idea, Kai," Cole said.

This was not going the way I planned. I tried to reason with them. "Look, I realize this doesn't seem like the greatest idea, but if we don't stop that clock, who is?"

"An adult with a lot more experience?" Jay suggested.

"We've already been over that, Jay," Cole answered impatiently. "Can we even stop the clock?" he asked.

Zane opened his mouth, but I didn't want to hear the answer. "It doesn't matter! We have to try! We can't let that dark wizard get released!"

The others looked at each other. Jay adjusted his scarf nervously. Cole sighed loudly. "I guess you're right. So how are we going to stop it?"

This is where my thought process fell apart. "Well, I figured we go back to the hallway where we first saw the clock—"

"With those statues?! No thank you!" Jay exclaimed.

"We got away from them once, we can beat them again," I reasoned.

Cole frowned. "I have to agree with Jay on this one. This seems like a terrible idea."

I looked to Zane. He seemed unsure too. "The statues are attracted to movement," Zane assessed out loud. "If we don't make sudden moves, we should be able to evade their detection."

I breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Zane," I looked to the others. "See, we can do this!"

Cole and Jay looked at each other, then back at me. "Alright. I'm in," Cole said.

"No way! Even if we do get past the statues, there could be other things guarding the clock."

I frowned. "We'll get through it! We have to."

"Come on, Jay," Cole encouraged.

"Please, Jay," I begged. If I was going to do this, I wanted all my friends at my back.

"Alright, alright! I give up!" Jay answered in a huff. He pointed his finger at me. "But if I die, it's your fault!"

I smiled. "Okay. We should go as soon as possible. Let's meet back here tonight. We'll head over to the clock from there."

Everyone nodded. I got up and left the library. I needed to prepare before doing something completely rash. I promised Nya I would come home safe. I packed a bag with a flashlight, some weapons I had transfigured, and some extra food. Now, I was going to talk to Master Wu. I needed to unlock my elemental power before I went on this mission.

* * *

I made my way to door 102 and low and behold Master Wu was sitting on his mat drinking tea. "What can I do for you, Kai?" He asked.

I sat down across from him. "I need my elemental powers now."

Wu chuckled. "Patience. I have already taught you everything you need to know."

I slammed my hands down on the table. That can't be true. "There has to be some trick or secret that you haven't taught me yet! Please Master Wu. I need to know."

Wu put his tea down. "Why are you in such a hurry, Kai? You cannot rush these things."

I couldn't tell Master Wu about the clock. "I just need to. Please Master. This is really important!"

"I told you. I have already taught you everything you need to know."

I grit my teeth together. "But my powers haven't unlocked yet!" I protested.

Master Wu sighed. "Just because something is not happening for you right now, does not mean that it will never happen. Give yourself more time."

I balled my fists. I didn't have time! I was going up against who knows what tonight and I need to be at full strength! But Wu didn't know that. I forced myself to take a deep breath. I couldn't force him to tell me anything. I was on my own. I pushed myself to my feet.

"Thank you, Master," I said.

I turned and walked away before he could respond. What a disappointment. I went back to my room pulled out some candles. There was nothing else for me to do but practice. I closed my eyes and tried to calm down. It was next to impossible when there was so pressure on me to do well.

 _Relax._ I told myself. _Remember what Master Wu taught you._ I opened my eyes and tried to summon my elemental power. I felt my hands grow warmer. This was it. I pointed at the candle and tried to light it up. It sparked for a little bit, then went out. I groaned. Why couldn't I do this?

I practiced for hours and hours and grew more and more frustrated. It seemed like the more I tried, the worse I got. Other students walked past me to get to their bunks. It was that late already? I guess I should start heading down to the library. I packed the candles away and grabbed my bag. I waited till everyone else had fallen asleep before leaving the room.

* * *

Using my flashlight, I carefully crept along the corridors to get the library. I sat down by the door and waited for the others to arrive. I tried to summon a flame in my hands, but it just went out after a few minutes. I slammed my head back against the wall. How come this was so hard?

"Hello, friend. What are you doing?"

I opened my eyes in a flash. Zane was standing next to me with a curious expression on his face. He had snuck up on me again. "Oh, hello, Zane. I'm trying to unlock my elemental power, but as you can see," I tried to summon flames, "it's not working."

He frowned. I waited for him to say something, but he just stood there in silence. Once again, I was on my own.

"Hey, guys," Cole said. "What's up?"

I sighed. "Not much." I looked around in the darkness. "Where's Jay?"

Cole shrugged. "How should I know?" He paused for a moment. "You don't think he chickened out on us, do you?"

"I hope not," I replied. Jay was a good friend, but he wasn't that brave. We had to force him just to agree to come. I wouldn't blame the kid if he didn't show up.

"I sense Jay is coming," Zane said.

I gave him a sideways glance. How could he be so sure? I heard footsteps, then I caught sight of an orange scarf. It stood out plainly in the gloom. I chuckled to myself.

"What took you so long?" I asked him.

Jay fiddled with his fingers. "I took a wrong turn."

Cole snickered. Jay turned on him indignantly. "It was dark! I missed the corridor. But I'm here now so let's go!"

I smiled. "Alright. Come on guys."

The others nodded. There was no time to waste. I tried to remember the route we took when we first ran into the stone warriors. Let's see… Right, then left, left again… By some miracle, we made it back to the same corridor with the statues.

I paused, remembering how we nearly got killed last time. We couldn't break open the floor to the clock room without alerting the stone warriors. We would have to cross over to the door at the other end and hope that it led to the same place.

"No sudden moves," I whispered to the others.

They nodded. "So what do we do?" Jay whispered back.

"Move slowly. That way they won't detect us," Cole replied.

"Let's go one at a time," I suggested. "That way there's less movement." Everyone nodded.

"I will go first," Zane said. He slid forward cautiously. Nothing. Zane crept forward inch by inch. I held my breath as the minutes stretched by. At last, he reached the door. The statues still didn't move. Zane opened the door slowly. It creaked loudly. I cringed. Zane froze.

Fortunately, it seemed the statues couldn't hear. I breathed a sigh of relief. Zane stepped inside, but left the door propped open for us.

"I'll go next," Cole said.

I nodded. Cole edged across the floor and joined Zane without any problems. Now it was my turn. I nodded to Jay, and he let me go. I focused on putting one foot in front of the other. I had to fight my instincts telling me to run. My heart thudded in my chest. I kept thinking about the statue grabbing my arm. It didn't help that it was dark.

The hallway seemed to stretch on forever, but I finally made it. I turned around to Jay. I could tell that he was terrified. He took being cautious to the next level. He took about one step every five minutes. I silently begged him to move faster. We didn't have all night.

"Come on, Jay!" Cole whispered as loud as he dared. Fear held us all captive.

Jay sped up, but only just. It would take him ages to reach the other side.

"Faster!" I encouraged.

"Alright already!" Jay whispered back. He started picking up the pace. Finally. But something was wrong. He was moving too fast. The pressure caused him to throw caution to the wind. He went from a crawl to a fast walk. I glanced anxiously at the statues. I just hoped they wouldn't wake up. A noise pierced the silence.

 _SCREECH!_

Jay froze in horror. We all looked at each other. We knew what this sound meant.

 _SCREECH!_

The statues were coming to life!

* * *

To be continued! Action is going to pick up from now on, so Please review!


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Killer Koi

"Jay, what have you done?" I yelled at him.

He glared at me through the darkness. "You guys told me to go faster!"

"Not that fast!" Cole snapped at him.

"Watch out!" Zane warned.

A statue had snuck up behind Jay and was about to grab him. He turned around and screamed.

Now he was all out sprinting. All the stone warriors were chasing after Jay. He was so close to the door. Cole and I urged him on.

"Come on, Jay!"

"You're so close!"

The statues were gaining. Jay was 100 feet away. I moved over to the side to make room for him.

"Zane! Get ready to close the door!"

Zane nodded at me. Cole noticed the exchange and backed up. Jay sprinted past us. The statues were close on his tail.

Zane quickly slammed the door on them. He pulled out his wand. " _Colloportus!"_

I heard a loud click, and the statues slammed into the wood.

"Come on!" I yelled at the others.

Together, we ran down the hall far from the stone warriors. We managed to escape for now. Soon, we reached a large open room. The ceiling appeared to be enchanted to reflect the night sky. I could almost believe we were outdoors. Grass covered the floor, and there was a koi pond like the one in the main courtyard. Stars stretched across the ceiling, and I was sure I could feel a breeze on my face.

There was a door on the other side, but in order to reach it, we were going to have to cross the koi pond. It was the length of the room and too far to jump. I approached the edge, trying to see if we could swim across, but a koi fish jumped out of the water, its jaws snapping. I quickly jumped back.

This was no ordinary koi. Its teeth were huge and sharp! Not only that, but it was super aggressive. I could also now see that there were hundreds of them in the water. Swimming was out of the question. So how were we going to get across?

I slid my bag off my shoulders and sat down on the ground. I had no ideas. My stomach rumbled. It had been several hours since I had eaten dinner. I pulled out some of the snacks from my bag.

Cole examined the water's edge too, only to get bitten by one of the koi.

"Ow!" He howled. He shook his finger like mad. "Get off me!" The fish was firmly attached. Cole pulled out his wand with his other hand. I couldn't make out the incantation he used. All the words blended together as he screamed, but I recognized the spell at once. Professor Ronin had taught it to us.

Blue flames shot out of his wand, scorching the fish. Finally, it let go.

Cole backed away from the water and sucked on his bleeding finger. "Those fish are tough."

"Do you guys have any ideas on how to get across the pond?" I asked the group.

Jay shook his head. "With those killer fish? No way. We'll die before we get all the way in the water."

"There's got to be a way," I mused.

"There's just too many fish," Cole pointed out.

Zane sat down on the ground and closed his eyes. I guess he wouldn't be helping us.

"Do you have anything useful in your pack, Kai?" Jay asked hopefully.

"No, just a flashlight, a couple shuriken, and some snacks," I replied.

Cole's face lit up. "Snacks? Can I have some?"

I sighed. "Sure."

I handed him some of my food. Cole gobbled it all up within in minutes. Meanwhile, Zane was on his feet again. He was walking toward the pond.

"Zane, stop! The fish are going to get you!" I warned.

He stopped a few feet from the edge. I breathed a sigh of relief. Zane held out his hand. What was he doing? He exhaled, and ice particles shot from his hand. Suddenly, I understood. Zane was using his elemental powers. The pond began to freeze over. The fish squirmed and thrashed, but there was nothing they could do. The cold began to make them lethargic until eventually they stopped moving.

The ice spread until a bridge was formed between the two sides. Zane put his hand down and then started sliding across the ice.

"Let's go friends," he called to us.

We all looked at each other. Jay frowned. "Are you sure that bridge is going to hold us?"

I tested the ice. It was surprisingly thick considering Zane was just a first year. It seemed to hold my weight.

"I think so."

Jay didn't seem so sure, but he followed me as we made our way across the ice. I nearly slipped once, and heard the ice crack a couple of times, but before I knew it we were on the other side. Jay joined me a few minutes later. Cole was the last one to make his way over. He had fallen on the bridge and was having a hard time getting up.

"I wish I had solid ground under my feet instead of this slippery ice!" I heard him grumble.

"You can do it!" I encouraged.

Cole pushed himself up and continued walking. The ice had weakened where he had fallen. A massive fissure had formed and was spreading with each step Cole took. My eyes widened in horror. At this rate, he was going to fall in.

"Look out!" I cried.

My warning did more harm then good. Cole froze at the sound of my voice. The crack caught up with him. I heard a large snap. The water sloshed around Cole and he lost his footing. His arms flailed as he fell backward and then he went under. We watched as he bobbed back to the surface. I inched forward back onto the ice, but it cracked under my feet, so I jumped back. If I went out there, I was going to fall in too and I hated water. All I could do was watch helplessly.

Cole was swimming toward the ice bridge. I breathed a sigh of relief. He was going to be able to pull himself back up to safety. Suddenly he went under. We all gasped.

"Cole!" I screamed.

What had happened? Then there was a flash of orange and white behind Cole. Some of the koi were getting excited. The flailing movement and the warm body in water had woken them up. They reminded me of piranhas.

Cole broke through the water again. Koi were hanging on his arms, chest and back. His face was twisted into a grimace, but he kept swimming toward the main ice bridge. My heart twisted. I couldn't just watch him suffer.

"We have to help him!" I cried. I looked to the others for help.

Jay crept backward. Zane looked down at the ground. My hands balled into fists. Why wouldn't they help him?! Then, I guess I was on my own. I heard once that if you spread your weight across thin ice, it would hold you up better. Time to put that theory to the test.

I got down on my stomach and started crawling. The ice burned my hands, but I pressed on. I heard cracks and splitting, but the bridge was holding. I kept going. Cole had gone under again. There was no time to waste. I was halfway to the broken ice floes. Koi were jumping out of the water, splashing and snapping their jaws.

The closer I got, the more the ice split around me. I put my hand out in front of me, only to find the ice collapse. My hand fell through to the cold water below. Orange scales flashed before my eyes. I quickly pulled back before a koi could bite me. I panted heavily. Now what? I couldn't go forward. Cole's strokes were getting weaker. The cold and fish were taking their toll. If I didn't do something he would drown.

What to do? What to do? My mind was running blank. I didn't have any useful spells. I was panicking. Ice crackled next me. A new bridge was forming. It was weak and more jagged than the first, but it was sturdy. I looked back at Zane. Jay was holding him up, and his eyes were closed. It must have taken a lot of effort to make this much ice.

Cole was sinking. I crawled onto the new bridge and continued toward him. I needed to reach him fast. I made it to the edge.

"Cole, take my hand!" I shouted. My arm was stretched out as far as it would go. Cole tried to move toward me, but the koi fish weighed him down. He barely managed to raise his arm past the surface of the water. I couldn't even see his flesh. It was covered in orange, gold and white scales. I was going to have to grab him. I tried to get a grip on the slimy, wet scales, but he slipped away from my grasp.

Cole was going under. It was now or never. I took a deep breath and lunged. I felt koi biting my arm, but ignored them. I had to rescue my friend. I reached out my other hand and snatched Cole. I leaned back and pulled with all my might. I had to get him out of the water.

Cole was heavy. He needed to stop eating so much. I threw all my weight back. He finally broke the surface of the water. I managed to get him up on the ice, but he still wasn't doing so well. Even his face was covered in fish. The ice wasn't strong enough to hold the two of us. I could see cracks starting to form. We were going to have to move fast. I grabbed Cole under his arms and started dragging him back to shore.

I moved as fast as I could, but the bank was still too far away. My heart was pounding and my muscles were tired. I panted and rested for a brief moment. The ice began breaking under me and I had to keep moving again. Jay was cheering on me on. He wouldn't dare step on the ice for fear of falling in, but it was the thought that counted.

I was almost there, I kept telling myself. The ice was breaking behind me. Zane's second ice bridge was a lot weaker than the first one. I had to hurry. Almost there. Almost.

I collapsed. I was exhausted. My whole body throbbed. Cole lay limp next to me.

"Come on, Kai!" Jay called.

I pushed myself up, but I slipped back down again.

 _CRACK!_

The ice bridge split under me. Adrenaline forced my body forward. My legs kicked outward, and my momentum carried me over onto one of the broken ice floes. I was done for. That burst of energy left me more drained than before. I was just a few feet away from shore too. Jay had dropped Zane on the ground. He was running toward me.

What was he thinking? Now he was going to drown too. I let my vision go black for a brief moment.

"Kai!" A voice called. I sluggishly forced myself to open my eyes. A hand was in front of my face. I took it.

Next thing I knew, I was on solid ground again. I looked around. Cole was lying on my left. He was covered in scratches and cuts, but all the koi fish had been removed. Zane was on my other side. His eyes were still closed. I hope he's okay.

I looked up. Jay was standing over me.

"You're alive!" he cried. "I was so worried!"

I groaned and pushed myself away from the wall. "What happened?" I asked. I looked over at Zane. "Is he…?"

Jay sat down across from me. "I think Zane's okay. He kinda fizzed out after making that second bridge, but—"

"Fizzed out?"

"Yeah, I can't really explain it. The light went out of his eyes and he went limp, but he's breathingish. It's all so complicated. But anyways, I pulled you and Cole's ice floe to shore and brought you here. Now we have to get past another trial," Jay rambled on.

I stood up. He wasn't making any sense. I walked further into the room with Jay at my heels.

"See?" He pointed.

This room was even bigger than the one with the koi pond. It was filled with massive piles of junk. There was no sign of door anywhere.

"How do we get out?" I asked.

Jay tugged at my shoulder. "Look up."

I followed his gaze upwards. I groaned. "No way."

There, embedding in the ceiling was a large square door. The nearest junk pile was at least 100 yards away. We couldn't climb to the door, so that meant…

"We're gonna have to build our way out," Jay stated.

* * *

To be continued next week! Hope you all are enjoying! Please review!


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10 Last Trials

* * *

What on earth could we build to get up to the ceiling? I was at a complete loss. Jay was walking over to the nearest pile of stuff.

"I grew up in a junk yard," he started saying, "I've watched my dad build things for forever. I think I can build something that can get us up there."

I was doubtful. Jay wasn't the brightest or best wizard in our group. Not to make him feel bad, but I didn't really trust something built by Jay.

"You think?" I asked, uncertainly.

Jay didn't turn around, and continued looking for something. "Well, yeah. My dad was showing me the blue prints for this jet he was making over break. It didn't look that complicated. I'm sure I can rebuild it. There's so much stuff here…" He pulled out a piece of metal. "See! This will be part of the wing."

I wasn't convinced. "Are you sure?"

Jay glared at me. "Of course I can make it! We can do it. We have to!"

This overly positive attitude was worrying me. I had never seen him like this.

Jay hung his head and added as an afterthought. "Maybe." He sighed and dropped what ever it was he was holding. "I have to try," he whispered at last.

My heart clenched. He was just doing his best and I totally knocked him down. I picked up the piece of metal.

"So, what else do we need?" I asked Jay.

"Well, we'll need a power converter, compressor, a turbine, some thrusters and some more metal for the body for starters," he replied.

I had no idea what half of this stuff was. "I'll grab some metal and you can grab the engine parts," I said.

Jay nodded and we split off in the massive room of junk. I grabbed as much metal as I could carry and dropped it off by Zane and Cole. They still looked dead to the world. I paused for a few minutes before going back for more stuff. I went back and forth until I was too tired to carry any more.

I sat down and watched Jay work. He had a small, organized pile of equipment next to my mess. He scoured the junk piles for hidden gems, sometimes climbing to reach certain parts. Jay was persistent. I could give him that.

After a while, he was ready to start assembling. The engine was first. I didn't understand any of it, but Jay seemed to know what he was doing, so I left it up to him. I would probably get in his way.

An hour past. Then two. I yawned. Jay's blue kimono was soiled by grease and oil from the engine. Although it was coming together, I could tell he had a long way to go. It was probably close to midnight by now. Maybe I could close my eyes. Just for a little bit…

"It's done!" Jay announced.

I woke up with a start. I rubbed my eyes and looked at the shamble of a jet. I had no idea how this was going to fly. The wings were bolted together, and the body was a jumble of metal. The cockpit was a mess of wires and controls. The jet also included four seats and seatbelts for each.

"Are you sure about this?" I asked.

"Of course! Now hop in," Jay replied. I clambered over the side and slid into a seat. I noticed Cole and Zane were still out of it. I hoped they would wake up soon. I jumped out and pulled them in with me. I buckled us all in and prayed that we would make it out alive.

"Alright," Jay said. "Now to power her up!"

I watched as he closed his eyes and scrunched his face together. Sparks began to build up in his hand. At last, he opened his eyes and threw the lightning into the wires. The electricity sparked for a while, and then died out. I looked at Jay, who laughed awkwardly.

"Now to power her up," he said again. This time, he rubbed his hand against his scarf. Blue light began to build up. His hand moved faster and faster creating more and more sparks. Jay pulled his hand away from his scarf and began to concentrate again.

Actual bolts of lightning were shooting out of his hand. I ducked to avoid the energy. I couldn't believe that a physical action like rubbing could help unlock elemental powers. I would have to try that some time.

This time, the engine started up without any problems. "Hang on!" Jay cried. He pulled down on the throttle and we started rising off the ground. We started moving faster and faster. The wind roared in my ears.

My stomach lurched. I couldn't look down. Instead, I looked at the gray door that was getting closer and closer. I couldn't believe it. We were going to make it!

Wait, how were we getting through the door? I didn't think we could hover and pull it open. My eyes widened. We kept getting closer without any sign of stopping.

"Jay?" I called.

Jay's hair was whipping wildly. "Hold on tight!" he called over the wind. I closed my eyes. Jay was going to fly us right into the door. I grabbed his seat and hoped that we wouldn't die in the process. The nose of the jet collided with the ceiling. The door shattered into a million pieces. I let go of the chair and covered my face.

Pain flared in my arms. I flung forward, only to get pulled back by my seatbelt. Bits of shrapnel punctured me. I groaned. I was hurting. Bad. But at least I was alive. I opened my eyes. The jet was ruined. Zane and Cole were bleeding from several cuts. I had to undo their seatbelts. After I made sure they were all right, I looked around for Jay.

I didn't see him anywhere. "Jay?" I called. "Jay!"

No answer. Oh no. I scrambled over to the remains of the cockpit. Jay had bashed his head into the dashboard. Blood was oozing out of a cut in his forehead.

I shook him gently. "Jay. Wake up." No response.

I rolled him over and checked for a pulse. I breathed a sigh of relief. It beat faintly. He wasn't dead. My arms were still sore, but I managed to drag him over to Zane and Cole. Now that my friends were okay, time to assess the situation.

I was alone in room with a massive hole in the floor with no sign of an exit. This place wasn't as fancy as the last two. The only decoration was a table with a bunch of pots on it. I walked over there, and to my surprise; they were all ceramic tea pots like the one Mistaké liked to brew in. They were different sizes, but all in the same style. In front of the center pot, there was a note. I picked it up and started reading.

 _Two of us will help you, whichever you would stumble upon,_  
 _Two among us seven will let you move on,_  
 _Two among our number hold only nettle wine,_  
 _Three of us are killers, waiting hidden in line._  
 _Choose, unless you wish to stay here for evermore,_  
 _To help you in your choice, we give you these clues four:_  
 _First, however slyly the poison tries to hide_  
 _You will always find some on nettle wine's left side;_  
 _Second, different are those who stand at either end,_  
 _But if you would move onwards, neither is your friend;_  
 _Third, as you see clearly, all are different size,_  
 _Neither dwarf nor giant holds death in their insides;_  
 _Fourth, the second left and the second on the right_  
 _Are twins once you taste them, though different at first sight._

I read the note again, then looked back at the table of teapots. This stuff was way beyond me. I was terrible at logic puzzles. "Grrrahh! Zane, where are you when I need you?!" I yelled.

He would probably be able to solve this with no problem, but he was still out cold from helping me. I sighed. I guess I was on my own. Let's see… two of these are wine right? So then the pot containing the wine should smell. Wine had a distinct odor. Karin had it every night at dinner, so I had gotten used to the aroma. I leaned down to sniff a pot, then drew back suddenly. What if the smell of the poison kills me?

But the point of the test is to drink the correct liquid, then sniffing it shouldn't have too bad an affect right? I certainly hoped not. In my science class back in Ninjago city, we smelled chemicals by using our hands to waif the aroma to our noses. I was going to have trust that would protect me. I whiffed all seven pots. Only two reminded me of wine: the third from the left and the end pot on the right. So now I had five more options.

How could I eliminate them? The first clue said that there was poison on the left of the wine. So that meant the second and sixth teapots were poison. Now what? I guess I could read the riddle again and see if it held any other answers. The ones on the end were different, but they wouldn't help me move forward, so if one is wine, the other has to be poison.

Um… neither the dwarf nor the giant hold death. Well, the biggest pot here in spot number three is a wine. Number five is unidentified. I smiled. Yes! That means it must be a move forward. It was really small though. There would be barely enough for two people. I was going to have to find the other one.

Okay. I know all the others, so that means that number four must be a move forward. I grinned. I did it! And I didn't need Zane after all. I was going to have to thank Karin for drinking so much wine. I grabbed the two forward teapots and ran back to my friends.

"Guys, get up. We're moving on the to the next room!"

Nobody moved. I tried shaking them. Still nothing. I put down the pots.

Time to get creative.

* * *

To be continued...Please drop a review!


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11 The Celestial Clock

* * *

It was no use. I tried everything, but my friends would not wake up. I had no choice but to wait. I sat down next to Cole. I was so tired; I'll just take a nap until they wake up.

"This is no time to be sleeping, Kai," a flat voice said.

I cracked open my eyes. My vision was blurry with sleep, but I could make out pale hair and a white kimono.

"Zane…" I said. "How long have I been asleep?"

"Approximately one hour and five minutes," he replied.

I smiled. Zane was so exact. "Are the others up?" I asked.

"Yep," said a voice on my left. I turned to see Cole grinning at me.

"The only one who's not up is you," Jay said.

I chuckled. After all of my hard work, it turns out my friends only needed time. I reached for the teapots.

"Here, drink this," I handed it over to them as I spoke. "It'll take us to the room."

"Are you sure?" Jay asked.

"Positive."

Cole took the pot from Jay and started chugging it.

"Don't drink it all," I warned. "We need each pot to last two people."

Cole didn't respond, but he stopped drinking. He wiped his mouth and belched. Really loud. I blinked. Then he was gone.

Literally, Cole vanished to who knows where. That tea must have been really powerful.

Jay backed up away from the teapot. "I'm not drinking that!"

I picked it up where Cole had left it. "Then I guess I'm next."

Jay watched in horror as I gulped down the tea. It tasted funny, like country air mixed with the sea. I swallowed the last drop and exhaled. I felt light and airy. Jay and Zane watched me intently. I blinked and their faces disappeared.

At first, I thought had fallen asleep. I was in the dark room from my nightmares with the golden clock in front of me. The hand was a minute away from the skull. I backed up.

"Ouch! Watch where you're going, Kai," Cole complained.

I turned around. I had walked right into him. "Sorry, Cole."

Zane suddenly appeared next to us, followed by Jay.

"Where are we?" Jay asked.

"The room of the Celestial Clock," Zane answered.

"So how do we destroy this thing?" Cole asked.

I looked around the room. I was kind of hoping an idea would come to me on the way over here. All of my efforts in my dreams had failed.

"Smash it?" I answered uncertainly.

"With what?" Jay asked.

Cole walked up the clock. "With my fists!" He started punching the golden clock. "Ahhh!" He yelled.

The three of watched in shock as Cole bloodied up his fists without damaging the clock at all.

"Earth powers!" He shouted. "Hi-yah!" He punched the clock again. A sound like a gong resounded through the room. The golden clock shuddered, but remained standing. However, I did notice there was a dent in it. Cole panted.

Laughter emanated from the clock. " _You think such a weak earth blast can stop me?_ " It said.

Cole balled his fists and prepared to try again.

" _Your performance was always subpar. Your father always thought so, didn't he, Cole?"_

His fists suddenly opened. I cast Cole a sympathetic glance. I knew that this was a sore spot for him. Cole didn't reply.

" _If you couldn't even sing and dance, how do you expect to take down me, the Overlord?"_ he mocked.

Jay gasped. "The Overlord?"

It laughed again. The sound made me want to hide in a hole and never come out.

" _That's right, Jay. I am the Overlord and nothing will stop my release._ "

Jay took a nervous step back. "You know my name?"

" _I know many things, Jay Walker, including how terrified you are right now._ "

"That's ridiculous." But even as he said it, Jay took another step back. My heart burned for my friend. First Cole, and now Jay. The Overlord was tearing us apart.

The Overlord wasn't done yet. He kept going. " _I know you never wanted to come on this mission in the first place, that you would rather curl up and hide, because you and I know the truth._ "

I balled my fists. He was getting really annoying. I looked back at Jay. The Overlord's words were having a visible affect on him. He was shaking from head to toe.

" _The truth that you are a weak coward,"_ The Overlord continued, " _who can't do anything right."_

Jay looked down in shame. He believed every word. That's it. I'm not going to stand by while my friend gets bullied.

"Leave him alone!" I shouted at the clock.

It chuckled at me. " _Kai Umas, the little boy who thinks he can protect his friends."_

I closed my eyes. I had to calm down. _Don't let him get to you,_ I thought. My hands began to grow warmer, but theOverlord wasn't done with me yet.

" _And yet, his friends bear the scars of his failure."_

I stopped.

" _How many koi fish bit you, Cole, before Kai 'saved' you?"_ The Overlord asked.

I opened my eyes and looked at Cole. The scabs stood out painfully on his skin. Cole didn't answer, but I remembered the swarms of koi that covered his whole body and how I had nearly let him die. I should have stepped out on the ice the instant I saw Cole go down. Instead, I let fear keep me back.

" _That's right, Kai. No matter how hard you may try, you can never protect your friends."_

Zane stepped forward. "Cole may have been bitten, but if it were not for Kai, he would have drowned."

I looked at him surprise. I guess that was true…

" _Why would you stand up for a boy like that, Zane?"_ The Overlord almost sounded sincere. I watched the golden clock nervously. What did he have in store now?

"Because I stand by my friends," Zane said defiantly.

That's right. We stand together. My hands warmed up again. I remembered Jay and the scarf and started rubbing my palms together. I was going to crush that clock.

" _Your friends?"_ The Overlord repeated. " _Is that what you call people who think you're odd?"_

Zane blinked and frowned. I could tell he was struggling. I longed to tell him it wasn't true, but I had thought that he was odd on occasion. He was a strange person who missed on a lot of social cues. I could think of several awkward lunches because of Zane. But that didn't mean he wasn't our friend.

" _Your so called friends take advantage of you. Deep down you feel it, don't you? You feel that you don't really belong. You will always be an outsider."_

Zane looked down. I felt guilty. When we first met, I did use Zane as homework help. I hung out with him whenever I needed to get an essay done. But that's not what I thought now. Shadows loomed closer. I glanced at the minute hand. The Overlord was wasting time.

My sadness turned to anger. I couldn't let him do this to us. This dark wizard was not going to escape.

"Zane is our friend!" I shouted at the clock. "And we are going to defeat you. Together!"

I threw whatever flames I had made at the clock. It encompassed the whole face in an orange inferno. It wouldn't be enough. There were several other appendages to go. I summoned every ounce of strength I had and covered the entire clock in flames.

Jay gasped. Even Cole and Zane looked surprised.

"You unlocked your true potential," Jay said in awe.

I smiled. I guess I did. The flames were starting to die down now. I could see the gleam of gold beneath the fire. I sagged. It can't be. The clock was still there. The gold melted in a few places, but the second hand was still ticking. I had failed.

" _You fool! You cannot stop me!"_ The Overlord shouted.

Zane examined the clock. I watched his eyes narrow in concentration, then widen suddenly.

"What is it?" I asked.

Zane lifted his hand, just like at the koi pond. "If we all concentrate our elemental powers, we can stop him."

"But Kai and I have tried and it hasn't worked," Cole objected.

" _Yes, your elemental powers can do nothing to stop me,_ " The Overlord interjected.

There was something suspicious in his tone…I couldn't put my finger on it… "Let's just do it."

The four of us nodded. I took a deep breath. The first volley of flames had taken a lot out of me. I understand why Zane had collapsed earlier, but I had to do this, not just for the wizarding world, but also for my friends.

I drew upon every last bit of energy I had and shouted, "Fire!"

I started shooting a continuous stream of flames at the clock. Cole pounded his fists together.

"Earth!" He yelled. I couldn't tell what he was doing, but it looked like he was sending sonic waves, or maybe it was just dust, into the clock.

A moan came from the clock. " _Fools!"_ He cried. It was working.

Jay had finished rubbing his hands up against his scarf. I think there was more energy now than when he powered up the jet.

"Lightning!"

The Overlord screamed. His rage shook the room. I nearly crashed into the floor, but managed to regain my footing. My flames were going out. I panted, recovered my strength, and started again.

Zane joined in. "Ice."

His shards joined the fray. My fire melted the ice, only for it to be refrozen again by the stream of frost, creating more destruction. Cole broke down the metal, allowing the lightning to destroy the inner mechanisms of the clock. The gold began to pool on the floor and freeze into horrible, twisted shapes.

" _NOOO! I will not be defeated!"_ The Overlord shouted. The floor rumbled. I refused to give up. Instead, I poured even more of my strength into my flames. The quakes began to grow more violent. Jay was on the floor, but he gritted his teeth and kept sparking. Cracks began to form in ceiling, just like in my dream. I could barely make out the clock hands, but I could tell they were slowing down.

"We're almost there!" I shouted to the others.

They nodded. My heart was pounding. I was running out of energy. Jay's head hit the floor hard. The lightning fizzed out, before dying all together. Cole and Zane's power was also dwindling. I wasn't doing much better, but we had to keep going.

" _It can't be! I'm the Overlord! I can't be defeated by a bunch of kids!"_

I smiled through the pain. We were winning! The clock was getting distorted, and the time was coming to a halt. Its nervous reaction was all the proof I needed. My chest tightened. Sustaining the fire was becoming agony. I felt like joining Jay on the ground, but I had to hang on for a little longer.

Zane crumpled the floor. It was amazing he had lasted this long considering he had just recovered from last time. Now it was just up to Cole and me. Cole was breathing heavily; I didn't know how much longer he could carry on.

The room shook again. Cole fell to his knees. His wave subsided. The edges of my vision were growing dark. My strength was fading too. Cole wasn't getting up, but he continued to shoot dust at the clock.

" _IMPOSSIBLE!"_ The Overlord yelled.

The clock was turning into a dusty, goopy mess. The inner wires sparked, and then died. The face of the clock cracked. My vision went black, but I heard the tinkle of glass. I forced my eyes open. I had to know if the clock was truly destroyed. Cole had face planted on the floor next to a golden puddle on the ground. The clock was unrecognizable.

I smiled. My flames died, and I let myself sink to the floor.

"We did it, guys," I whispered; even though none of them were awake to hear me. I had no idea how to get back to the main part of the school. Maybe break through the ceiling? My tired brain wasn't making much sense now. I guess we would have to cross that bridge later. Right now, I just needed to get some sleep.

I closed my eyes. This time for sure, I was going to beat the Overlord once and for all in my nightmares. I dreamed of darkness and shadows, but I also dreamed of friends and victory.

* * *

AN: Epilogue to come-stay tuned-please review!


	12. Chapter 12-Epilogue

Epilogue

I woke up in a soft, white bed. I remembered the horrors of the clock room and sat up with a jolt.

"The Overlord!" I said out loud.

"Is not able to return, thanks to you," a familiar voice said.

I turned to see Master Wu at my bedside. "Master," I started, "What are you doing here?"

"I brought you back from the clock room, and started treating your injuries," he replied simply.

I was confused. "How did you know?"

"After you barged into my room, demanding answers, I suspected that something was wrong. I saw that your dormitories were empty and I began to search for you. However, by the time I arrived at the Celestial Clock, I was unable to help you in defeating the Overlord."

Well, I guess that made sense. I thought about Master Wu's words while taking a glance around the infirmary. It was completely empty. Where were my friends? Last I remembered, they had all collapsed on the ground.

"Is everyone else alright?"

"They're fine. They all woke up a few hours ago. You pushed yourself too hard, Kai. A few more minutes, and you could have combusted," Wu warned gently.

Oh. I had no idea. But at least everyone was alive. I bowed my head in an apology to the professor.

"However, if it wasn't for you, the Overlord could have been released," Wu continued.

I lifted my head. So it was all right in the end. I'd just have to be more careful in the future.

"Thank you, Master," I said. "I'm feeling a lot better now, so if you don't mind, can I see my friends now?"

Master Wu smiled. "Of course."

I got out of bed and walked out of the Infirmary. I glanced at a clock. It was almost lunchtime. Had I been asleep that long? Yikes. At least I knew were everyone would be though. I headed to library and waited for everyone to arrive. I caught up on my morning classes, and laughed about the crazy adventures in clock room with my friends.

Now the danger was over and the clock destroyed, the rest of the year went by slowly in comparison. I thought New Year's break would never come. It would have been boring if it weren't for my friends. I almost wished that there would be more plans to foil and dark wizards to defeat. But as Jay pointed out, we were lucky to have escaped with our lives, so I shouldn't be hoping for more dangerous adventures.

Despite the slow crawl of the year, I was sad when school ended. I was going to miss my friends. We had been through so much together, I couldn't imagine life without them.

"Goodbye, everyone," I said at the bottom of the mountain.

"Don't forget to write me, guys," Jay said.

"We won't," Cole promised.

"I will see you next year," Zane said.

"See you next year," I chorused. I pulled up my backpack and headed home. I stopped at one point to sit down eat a snack at the edge of the road right outside Ninjago city. The Mountain of a Million Steps was just a smudge on the horizon, and the school was covered in the veil, but I could still picture the grand, wooden entrance doors in my mind. I looked forward to a new adventure in April, in my new home, but until then, it was time to go back to my old one.

I got up and made my way back to my house. I reached under the mat and found the sliver key that Karin always left for Nya and I. After I unlocked the door, I slipped inside and climbed the stairs. I couldn't wait to see my little sister again!

I knocked on her door.

"Nya, I'm back," I called. "And you won't believe what happened!"

* * *

The End

AN: Thanks for reading! Stay tuned for the next installment:

The Great Devourer


End file.
